Affinity
by BrownEyes11
Summary: *ATTENTION* I have created a Mary-Sue in this story. I'm going to finish it because I know I ought to, but I'd just like to say...I'm disappointed in myself. Zoey and Erik have a daughter named Sharin-Rae Redbird Night. What will happen when Sharin enters The House of Night and meets Neferet's daughter? Neferet is growing more powerful; she'll do anything to take control...
1. Chapter 1

"There is absolutely nothing to be worried about!" my mother assured me for the fifth time.

"Yeah," I was starting my first day at the House Of Night the next day and I was very worried, "easy for you to say. You're weren't the daughter of the two most famous vampyres of all time."

"No, but I was the freaky fledging with the colored in mark, extra tattoos, a love triangle, and amazing powers."

She smiled at me and planted a kiss on my forehead, right where my mark would go be just the next day.

As she left the room and turned out the light, I sighed. Mom was great, but sometimes she just didn't understand things. When your mom was the most powerful High Priestess of all time, and your dad was the world's best actor, people tended to expect a lot from you, even if you couldn't always deliver.

Oh well, I would do my best, and hopefully it would be good enough. I was sure to make friends, my mom assured me, although she also promised that some girls would be downright horrible. "Don't let first impressions get to you" she'd warned me, and then gone on to tell me about the first time she saw my dad, recieving a very disturbing present from a at-the-time witchy girl who also turned out to be a pretty good friend.

There had been something else she wasn't telling me, I could see it in her eyes, but I didn't press her. When she was ready to tell me, she would.

When I opened my eyes in the morning, sunlight was streaming through the window, and practically blinding me. I hurriedly dressed and rushed downstairs, tripping on air a few times, as was my usual clumsy tendency.

When I finally reached the kitchen, I saw my mom, my dad (who were up at this hour to celebrate my last morning, since after I was marked I'd have my days and nights reversed, like them) and, to my delight, my Aunt Erin, Aunt Shaunee, Uncle Damien, and Uncle Jack.

"Aunt Stevie Rae would have been here, but you know how it is with her and daylight." We all laughed, and then I was pulled into a group hug by my namesakes, and Damien and Jack. (my name is Sharin-Rae Redbird Night. I know it's kind of weird, but it makes sense. Sharin is Shaunee and Erin, Rae is Stevie Rae. Redbird was my mother's maiden name. Jack and Damien aren't in there cause I'm a girl, and my name is girls only. If you want the guys, go to my little brother, Jack Damien Redbird Night. He's only ten months old.)

"Aww, thanks you guys!" I exclaimed.

"No need to thank us," Shaunee said.

"We wanted to be here!" Erin finished.

"Yeah" Jack and Damien said together.

There was one final hug, and then Dad ushered me to the car and began to drive me to the House Of Night.

**Disclaimer- I don't own House Of Night, or any of it's characters.**

**A/N- please review! Pretty pretty please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- I don't own The House of Night, or any of its characters.**

**  
A/N- I just finished my math homework so I'm in a math mood: Many reviews/good reviews= Happy me= more updates w/ longer chapters= happy you!! See my logic here? I'm only thinking of you!**

Jezebel's POV

I was walking to my next class, when I felt her come in.

That was my Affinity, one for spirit. I had a barrier that I could stretch out around me, but it didn't keep people out, it let me know who came in.

Each person's spirit had a slightly different feel, and I could sense them when they entered my range. I knew all the spirits in my range (the school) and could tell where they were at any given time.

So I noticed right away when I felt a new spirit enter my range. I rushed to the gate to see who it was, and was shocked by what I saw.

Strolling through the gate, looking lost, was a girl who I didn't recognize. She had long wavy hair, black as night, and piercing blue eyes that looked as though they cold see right into a soul. She didn't have a mark yet, but if she was here, then she must know that she soon would.

I wondered who she was, how she knew she was being marked. When I really looked at her, she reminded me of someone, but I didn't know who.

Oh well. This was a riddle for later. Right now I was late for theatre.

I rushed to class, and managed to arrive just before Professor Night. I plopped down in my seat and breathed heavily from the exertion of running to avoid being tardy.

As Prof. Night stood on the stage and began modeling a Shakespearean monologue, I gazed at his heavenly face.

Then it hit me, who that new girl had reminded me of. She'd had the same piercing blue eyes and black hair as Prof. Night.

Which meant she was his daughter. Which meant she was Zoey's daughter. Zoey our High Priestess. Zoey who had stolen that title from my mother, Neferet.

Oh boy.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer- Nope, still own nothing. Absolutely nothing. Zilch. *twitches* I HAVE NOTHING!!! *breaks down sobbing*

A/N- please review this so I can take your reviews and fuel my brain and write longer chapters!! (or something like that)

_Sharin's POV_

I walked through the gates of the school, trying hard to ignore the stares of the people passing by. Who the heck is she? They were probably wondering. What's a human doing here?

One girl in particular was really bothering me with her stare. She wasn't even trying to mask her curiosity. I turned to face her and her piercing green eyes bore into my blue ones.

We stared at each other for what seemed like hours but was only seconds. Then she seemed to break out of a trance, and began to rush off in the direction of one of the many buildings.

I shook my head and sighed and then began towards the office, thanking Nyx that I'd been brought here many times with my mother, and therefore knew the lay of the land.

I arrived at the office, and could here my mother's voice from inside, trying in vain to calm a wailing Jack.

I rushed through the doors and took Jack in my arms.

His ear-splitting wail ceased instantly, replaced by a calm cooing.

I handed Jack back to my mother, who was smiling with gratitude, and kissed him on the forehead.

"He always has liked you best," Mom said jokingly, and I smiled.

Then my smile turned to a frown, and Mom sighed and placed Jack down in his crib before turning to me.

"Your Uncle Heath called last night," she said, trying to distract me, "he said to wish you good luck."

I tried to smile at her but couldn't.

"Will it hurt?" I asked. I asked this question numerous times, but I felt the need to once again hear her tell me that it would all be fine.

Just then I coughed. And again, and again. I couldn't stop, and was getting a splitting headache. I was rocking in my chair and wheezing, the coughs becoming wet.

" Oh Goddess!" My mother exclaimed, worry clouding her dark eyes, "Sharin! Sharin honey, don't worry, it's going to be alright!"

But I could tell by her tone it might not be.

I was drifting in and out of consciousness now, unable to really focus on anything, still coughing so much I swore I could taste my lung at the base of my throat, wet and spongy.

The coughing grew even harder to bear, each cough worse, more painful than the one before.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered my mother picking up a phone.

"I need the circle!" she screamed into it. She paused a moment. Then, "Yes the whole circle! Damn it, I need everyone! Aphrodite too!"

She came to stand over me and alternated between attempts at soothing me, and muttering to her.

"Sharin-Rae Redbird Night, night had chosen- she broke off in a sob, unable to speak any longer.

She collapsed next to me and stroked my hair.

"It's okay, everything will be fine." Her words were empty, offering no comfort. Just words.

She seemed to sense this, and instead of talking to me, she began to pray.

_Zoey's POV_

One second she had been completely fine, if a little nervous, and now my poor daughter was sick.

Wet coughs racked her thin body as I held her, flecks of blood spraying from her mouth, though I didn't even notice their enticing smell.

"Sharin, baby, oh my baby. It's all right. It'll all be just- I broke off, unable to continue.

So I began to pray.

"Oh Goddess, please Nyx, make her better! Heal my baby! Oh please Nyx, please!"

The door crashed open, and I heard the voices of Shaunee and Erin.

"In here!" I called, "help!"

They rushed in and stared in horror for moments, before they recovered. Then they helped me prepare the circle.

The others rushed in, first Damien, then Aphrodite and Stevie-Rae.

I didn't even have time to say hello.

What happened next was kind of a blur. We surrounded Sharin and I cast the circle, with some help from Aphrodite, who I hadn't seen in months.

I called each element and begged for their help in healing my daughter.

The band of light that always connected us when we cast a circle glowed brighter with every passing second.

There was a blinding flash of light.

Then, nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer- I do not own House of Night. I don't own anything. *sniffle*

**A/N- Reviews are love and everyone loves to be loved. And to those of you who thought so, GODDESS NO, I'M NOT GOING TO KILL SHARIN!!! : )**

I was dizzy, drifting in and out of reality, although dreams were no more soothing than the real world.

I caught snatches of my mother casting the circle, begging the elements for help. Some moments were more focused than others, but mostly they just floated in front of my face.

I was so scared then, there are no words to describe feeling that your life could be over. That at any moment I could fall into that black abyss of nothingness. Needless to say, I was scared senseless.

When I was conscious, I babbled. I have no idea what about, but I've been told it would have made good goth poetry.

Then there was this enormous flash. Then nothing.

I awoke slowly, and was immediately assaulted by major sensory overload. There was Mom telling me how brave I'd been, Jack wailing, Shaunee, Erin, and Damien staring at me like I was the freaking ghost of Christmas past, Stevie-Rae looking at me funny, with a little smile, and Aphrodite, laughing so hard there were tears running down her face. And on top of all that, I had a major headache.

"Wha- what'd I miss?"

My lame joke seemed to loosen up the atmosphere, but everyone laughed for just a little too long.

"Well, um, how much do you, uh, remember?" My mother questioned cautiously.

"Well," I said dryly, "I remember incredible pain, gory coughing, and passing out."

Everyone looked uncomfortable and I sighed. I had a tendency to be sarcastic when I was scared, or annoyed, and others didn't always find it "charming", as my 3rd grade teacher had.

"Sorry, so um, what did happen? After I passed out, I mean."

"We begged Nyx for help…" Erin started

"And she came through!" Shaunee finished.

There was something false in their eyes.

"Oh she came through all right!" Aphrodite muttered.

"What does that mean?" I asked cautiously, unsure I wanted to hear the answer.

My mother sat down next to me and smoothed my hair from around my face, saying soothing, meaningless things.

"Honey, you've been marked…"

"Well yeah, I kind of figured that!" I cut her off, "I was wondering why everyone was acting so weird?" I trailed off, making the sentence a question.

"I just um… well you see…"

This time it was Aphrodite to cut Mom off.

"Oh for crying out loud, just show the girl."

She shoved a mirror into my hand, and I gazed into it, shocked by what I saw.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer- Nope, not even close.**

**A/N- REVIEW!!!! please.**

There was dead silence for a moment, and then everyone started talking at once.

"It's not a big deal," they said.

"Doesn't make a difference!"

I didn't hear any of them though. I was too bust staring at the mark… my mark. I was still crescent shaped all right, and still an outline, but it was… silver. It looked like it was made out of liquid silver, shiny and smooth, even in complete stillness. I turned to the side, and it caught the light, ever so slightly.

It was absolutely beautiful.

It was absolutely dreadful.

And it wasn't going away.

Although it wasn't filled in, it was majestic as any full-grown vampyres' tattoo, and when it caught the light, I could see the faintest tracings of wavy silver lines coming off it, elusive, reflective.

My mother was staring at me in opened mouth shock, and I thought I saw tears in her dark eyes.

Aphrodite was still chuckling slightly, and muttering.

"Like mother, like daughter!"

"Oh honey!" Mom exclaimed, and pulled me close, trying and failing to fold me onto her lap, so I could cry into her hair like I'd done so many times before.

But I did not fit there, and it was sobering. Hadn't it been just yesterday that I'd fallen off the swing, and run to my mothers' safe embrace? That I'd screamed in terror from the monsters of the night, called to my mother to assure me of safety? Trusted her to shield me from all the bad in the world, excepting her explanations, never looking close enough to see the fault lines?

But I was older now, and I knew that my mother did not know all.

So as much as it must have hurt her, not to be able to comfort me, I pulled out of my mothers' too small embrace, and fled.

I didn't know where I was going. I didn't care.

I ran with all my might, legs pumping, tears blurring my vision.

I tripped and skinned my knee, then got back up again and continued.

I found a safe looking spot, a large old tree by the wall, and climbed high into its ancient branches, still sobbing.

It wasn't fair, why did I have to be a freak? Why did I have to be different?

I found a comfortable spot, buried my head in my hands, and cried.

I must have fallen asleep because soon I was dreaming, soaring over fields and rivers. It was an exhilarating feeling, to soar high and be free.

I was so caught up in the feeling of flying that I didn't even notice when I began to descend.

I landed in a lush forest. There were tall green ferns and ancient trees, stretching high into the sky, which was a stunning blue. Their branches and leaves made an interlocking net, gathering the golden sunlight and reflecting it down through the trees, tinted jade.

I could hear water running somewhere in the distance, and began to move toward it. As it grew closer, I ran faster, until I burst into a clearing and saw a beautiful sight.

There was a tall waterfall, cascading down from a lush green overhang. It fell into a calm, shallow pool that shimmered in the bright sunlight, looking very inviting.

I heard splashing from behind me, and turned to see a beautiful woman with long black hair relaxing on rock, trailing her toes in the sparkling water.

Although she said nothing, and I could not see her face, I knew in my heart that it was Nyx.

When she turned to face me, her midnight hair falling over her shoulders, I gasped. She was beautiful.

Nyx laughed, a sound like a babbling brook on a summer day, like tiny bells.

"Hello, Sharin," she murmured, "why so upset?"

I laughed a little. It was just funny that the Goddess cared about my problems.

"My mark, it's, well, wrong. Weird. Not normal. I don't want to be a freak!" I cried suddenly, throwing myself into the Goddess' embrace. She rubbed my back and I sniffled.

"You're not a freak, Sharin. You're a very special girl, with a very special destiny."

She pulled out of my hug and began to fade away.

"No!" I gasped, "Wait! What does that mean?"

I woke suddenly, and nearly fell out of the tree.

There was a big fluff ball in my face, and I couldn't see. I was suffocating! I tried to throw it off of me, lost balance, and went crashing to the ground.

I wasn't hurt, but the air was knocked out of me.

A small white cat landed nimbly in front of me, and began to lick my nose.

I giggled, and sat up, leaning against the tree trunk. The cat crawled into my lap, and curled up into a neat little ball, demanding to be pet.

My mother had told me that there were a lot of cats at the House of Night, and that they chose people. Obviously this tiny white kitty had chosen me.

"Calvin," I muttered while stroking the cats' tiny head. It purred louder, and I knew I'd found its name.

I was content, until my dream came rushing back to me. I sighed and sagged against the tree trunk.

What did it mean? Was that really Nyx, speaking to me?

One thing was for sure, starting today, my whole life was different.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer- I don't own anything. *crawls into a corner and sobs*

**A/N- Please review! I am getting seriously addicted to reviews! Every little thing you say makes me happy (unless you insult me, DUH) so please keep reviewing, and I'll keep writing! : )**

Jezebels' POV

"…And so I was all like, no way, and she was all, yes way, and I was all-

"Mara!" I cut off the overly perky blonde with a sigh, "I honestly don't care! Go find someone else to bother!"

Mara's smile melted away, replaced with a hurt look, like a puppy that had been unfairly scolded.

I watched as she rushed off, and felt a pang of guilt. I hadn't meant to make her quite so upset. Oh well, it didn't really matter, and besides, I had more pressing matters to deal with, such as this strange new girl, who I just knew would end up causing trouble for me.

I thought about my mother's reaction when I'd told over the phone yesterday. She'd gone absolutely berserk, screaming and ranting until I was forced to disconnect, for the safety of my hearing.

Yup, dear old mom definitely had some anger issues.

I realized with a start that I was late for Vamp Soc., and picked up the pace, breaking into a jog, and then a full out run as I tried desperately to make it there in time.

I rushed through the door and collapsed into my seat, just as the professor arrived.

The professor, who was Zoey. As I Zoey talked, I noticed the similarities between her, and the girl who I knew was her daughter.

Not in the color of the eyes, but in the almond-like shape of them, and the stubborn determination that silvered them. The same angular jaw-line and straight, proud nose.

My internal evaluation was interrupted when a girl suddenly rushed into the classroom She kept her back to us, but I could tell with my gift that it was her. The daughter.

I sank lower in my seat, trying to make myself invisible, and listened to the conversation that was taking place between her, and Zoey.

" Sharin-Rae Redbird Night," Zoey hissed, and I noted that this was the girls' name. Sharin. Odd.

"How dare you frighten me like that! I was so worried! Where did-

The girl-Sharin, I corrected myself- sighed and pulled her mother into an embrace.

"I'm sorry Mom, I needed some time alone, and, well, I have something to tell you, but not here."

She gave a side-ways glance at the class through her curtain of midnight hair, and looked faintly surprised when she saw me.

"Well, you can tell me later, but for now, you are going to join our class!"

Sharin protested as Zoey turned her toward us and introduced her formally.

But none of us was paying attention to the introduction, because we were all to busy staring in shock at the mark of Sharin-Rae Redbird Night.

It was striking. The crescent moon outline on her forehead was a shimmery silver color, and I gasped when it caught the light, revealing the slightest etchings of vampyre tattoos, also in that entrancing silver.

Sharin seemed hyper-aware of out intense scrutiny, an blushed as she went to take her seat… right in front of mine.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer- same old, same old.**

**A/N- Please review, I wanna hit 35!!! Pretty please! It'll make me happy and that means a good story!!! : )**

Neferets' POV

I gazed out the window at the children across the street. There were two little girls, and a boy. The girls appeared to be playing a game with the boy, but upon closer inspection, I realized they were harassing him, pulling on his shirt and tugging his shaggy brown hair.

I frowned and looked away. Here was yet another example of how humans were violent creatures. There was no use for them in the world.

The phone rang, and I was surprised to hear Jezebel's voice on the other end.

"Mom?" she asked.

"Of course! Now what do you want?"

"Well, um, you know that story you told me? About Zoey?"

Just the mention of the name made me glower, and put me in a worse mood.

"Of course I do!" I snapped, "what about it?"

"Well, a new girl named Sharin showed up here at school and-

"And what, Jezebel? Get on with this, I don't have all day!" Goddess, she was such an idiot sometimes!

"And, um, well, mrgshashusha." She mumbled the last part, and I grew even more irritated.

"Jezebel! Speak up and tell me whatever news you have for me, or I'm going to hang up!"

"And she's Zoeys' daughter!" Jez spat out.

I was silent for a moment, while that sunk in, and then I began to yell.

"What! Jezebel are you certain? Do you know what this could mean?"

"Yes mom, I know, and-

"You idiot!" I screamed, cutting her off, "why didn't you call me the second you found out? Do you even comprehend what this could mean? This could take you out of the running for High Priestess! Of course it will! Zoey, that insolent little worm, will of course select her daughter! You can't just-

I heard a dry click, and then the tinny operators voice.

"If you would like to make a call-

I slammed the phone down so hard it shook the table, and stalked out of the room.

This could jeopardize everything! I needed Jez to become High Priestess, so that she could reinstate me, but now the very daughter of that worthless Zoey, who had stolen the position from me in the first place, was going to take it from my daughter? Not a chance! No way was I going to let this happen!

I would stop it, I decided.

I would do anything within my power to make sure that Jezebel became the next High Priestess, even if it meant taking this Sharin girl out of the picture…


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer- Take a wild guess…

**A/N- Oh please review!!! Please!!! You will get riches beyond your wildest dreams if you do!***

***or not…**

Jezebel's POV

Zoey began a lecture, but I couldn't pay attention. All I could think about was Sharin, sitting right there in front of me. So damn innocent.

I couldn't pay attention to the lesson anyway, so I looked at Sharin's soul. That's part of my affinity. Not only can I see where the souls are, and recognize them, but I can kind of examine them. I get a feeling from the souls.

I carefully examined Sharins' soul, and was surprised by what I found. She seemed to be a genuinely nice person. No hidden motives or anything.

This was strange, as most people had some hidden motive. It didn't make them bad people, it just meant they might not be doing something for exactly the reason they said they were.

But Sharin was squeaky clean. I sighed and concentrated harder. I was beginning to get irritated by this. I mean, she couldn't be the only 100% pure person on the face of the planet!

I knit my brow and leaned toward her, as though I could stare right through her, but the harder I tried to find something, the blurrier everything became.

I sat back in my seat hard, and all the air whooshed out of me. That was exhausting, and I had nothing to show for it.

At the sound of my heavy exhale, Sharin cocked her head ever so slightly and whispered to me, "You alright?"

Why did she care? I had to wonder. Why did it matter to her if I was alright?

"Yeah," I responded. _I was trying to find your ulterior motive with my power to look at your soul. How's your day going?_

I snorted at the thought, and she gave me a weird look, then spun around in her seat so fast that a few strands of her midnight hair tickled the bridge of my nose.

"Sharin, Jez, do you have something you want to share with the class?" Zoeys' tone was not at all angry, and I could tell she was just going through the motions of being upset. I'd bet she was just happy Sharin was making friends.

"No, Zoey—she liked to be called by just her first name—we were just discussing the lesson."

"Oh really?" Zoey said with a grin. "Then you wouldn't mind repeating what I just said?"

When in doubt, use humor.

"Ummm… look both ways before crossing the street?"

Zoey chuckled, as did a few kids in the class, and I knew I was off the hook.

"We were just discussing the many physical and psychological changes a fledging goes through when-

I tuned out Zoeys' voice and once again focused on the mystery that was Sharin-Rae Redbird Night.

_Sharin's POV  
_

When mom finally dismissed the class, I was relieved. All period I'd felt like someone was watching me, and when I'd turned around I found that same girl with the piercing green eyes. Jezebel.

"So, how did you like the class?" My mother questioned. "I just thought you might like to experience it a little before diving right in."

"It was very…" I stalled while I tried to remember a single thing about my mom's Vamp Soc class, "…interesting. I, uh, learned a lot." I nodded and tried my best to look sincere, but I could see the suspicious glint in my mother's eyes.

"I saw you made a new friend. Why don't you try to get to know her? When I'm not teaching my class!"

I forced a laugh, and then said a quick good bye to Mom, and walked slowly to the girl's dorm, lost in thought.

All class I'd had a weird feeling. Like I was not alone in my own head. I'd felt something probing gently, just below my consciousness, and I just knew it had something to do with that girl. Jezebel.

I was pulled out of my internal chatter when I collided with another girl. We both fell to the floor, and the papers she had been carrying scattered everywhere.

"I am so sorry!" I apologized. "I'm such a klutz! Here, let me get those for you!"

I went after the same piece of paper she did, and we conked heads.

"Sorry!" We said at the same time, and then collapsed into a fit of giggles.

Just then Jezebel walked by, surrounded by a flock of other girls, who seemed to be competing for her attention.

"Oh look!" She exclaimed. "New girl's found a friend! How sweet!"

She gave a nasty grin, and then whirled and strolled through the door of the Girl's Dorm in a weird way. Almost like twitching.

"Sorry I bumped you!" The other girl said. She had a slight English accent. "My name's Layne. Welcome to the House of Night!"

We stood up and Layne grasped my forearm.

"It's okay," I grinned, "I should have been paying more attention."

I waited for Layne's response, but she was too busy gaping at my forehead. I felt the blush rise to my cheeks, and saw Layne's cheeks darken too.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "It's just really pretty."

I smiled awkwardly, and we walked in to the Girl's Dorm together.

I gasped as I looked around. There were four flat-screen TVs, two on each wall. The floor was carpeted with a thick white rug that looked as soft as freshly fallen snow. There were large leather sofas and chairs in comfortable semi-circles around each television, and a group of girl's clustered around each one.

I quickly shoved my bangs across my forehead, blocking my strange mark from view. I didn't want to face the stares of the other fledglings. Their whispered theories and accusations.

When we were out of the common room, Layne turned to me, and apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry I stared. I know what it's like to be "the object of attention". My little brother Mikey has autism, and no matter where we go, people always stare at him, thinking: what's wrong with him? Does she have the same problem? They'll whisper to each other, darting glances at him, at me, until I want to scream at them, I'm not deaf! I'm not dumb! I can hear you, and it hurts!"

Suddenly Layne seemed to realize she might have said too much, and blush rose to her face, coloring her pale cheeks.

I wasn't sure what to do in this sudden spilling of guts, so I kept silent.

Layne hung her head, and began to turn away, seeming sure that she'd ruined out chances as friends, but I stopped her.

"Hey," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder, "it's alright." I gave her my best reassuring smile, and she smiled back tentatively. There we go, I thought.

"Where's your dorm?" Layne asked suddenly.

"I just got here," I responded, "I'm really not sure. Do you know where I could find out?"

"Sure!" Layne said perkily, "right this way."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer- I'll give you three guesses…

**A/N- Please more reviews! I want to hit fifty, and I need your help!! : )**

Sharin's POV

As it turned out, I was Layne's new roommate. Her old one had completed the change and moved out, off to bigger and better things, or so she said, and leaving Layne alone.

"I'm just so glad we're going to be roommates!" Layne gushed.

"I know, me too!" Normally I was a little nervous around new people, but with Layne I felt completely at home. "It's going to be good to at least know someone!"

Layne giggled, and then said, "Tomorrow I can introduce you to the rest of the gang. There's Olivia, Dawn, Kellan, and… Samantha."

On the last name, Layne's sweet voice seemed to grow cold.

"What's wrong with Samantha?" I inquired.

"Well, nothing's wrong with her really. It's just that she can be a little…" She trailed off as a girl with short red hair cut into a shiny bob walked by, then stopped when she saw us. From the way Layne looked at her, I figured this was Samantha.

"Oh, Hey Lana," said Samantha.

"My name is Layne, Samantha. Layne."

"Yeah, whatever. Sorry."

As I watched her strut away, I giggled a little. Layne looked at me like I was insane, and I hurried to explain.

"It's just that she reminds me so much of the mean girls from TV. The way she pretends not to know your name. The way she walks. It just struck me as funny that people like that really exist."

Layne nodded her head, and her wispy white-bond curls bounced. "I know, right? When I first met her I was like, is she for real?"

We giggled all the way to Layne's—I mean our—room.

I looked around the small room. It had a thick white rug on the floor, much like that in the common room, and the walls were painted dark blue. There was a white desk with a laptop on it in one corner, and a set of bunk beds in the other.

"I love it!" I exclaimed, and Layne grinned proudly.

"It was a real mess when I first got here, but I cleaned it up pretty nicely. Here's your bed. See, they've already delivered your stuff from home."

Indeed, there was my familiar purple bedspread, and my stuffed bear, Teddy. I suppose I'd thought I was being clever when I'd named him at the ripe old age of two.

"Home sweet home!" I declared, and flopped onto the bed. Layne giggled—she seemed to do that a lot—and went over to a small dresser to pull out some pajamas.

"Your stuff should be in there," she said, gesturing toward an identical white dresser.

Now we were both lying in bed, and Layne was already fast asleep, mumbling now and then, things like "Raise the bucket higher Luigi", and "Where's the unicorn castle?"

I sighed and rolled over to face the wall. Soon I was asleep and dreaming.

I was in my mothers' Vamp Soc class again, except now Jezebel was teaching it.

"Now class," she said, "who can tell me what Sharin is thinking?"

Everyone in the class raised their hand, and then turned to stare at me. As I watched, all their eyes turned the same piercing green as Jezebel's, and they all began to murmur, "We know exactly what you're thinking."

I screamed, and my eyes flew open, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.

"Just a dream, just a dream!" I told myself.

I was exhausted, but afraid to sleep again. I rolled over, and eventually slipped into an uneasy, dreamless slumber.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer- If I still need to tell you at this point…

**A/N- I was wondering if I should just continue this all as just one really long story, or break it into parts. I know I personally have trouble reading stories past ten chapters (it's not because I'm easily distracted! IT'S NOT! *twitches*) and here we are at chapter ten. My how time flies! So get back to me with what I should do about that. And, of course, review! Or I will send my evil flesh-eating zombie Blarna after you. She's real, just ask my Spanish partner…**

Sharins' POV

Ba-beep, ba-beep, ba-beep the alarm clock blared at me.

I groaned and began fumbling with the clock, hunting for the snooze button.

"Rise and shine!" Layne chirped, switching off the ear piercing blare, and pulling back the covers.

I squinted up at her. "Do you have to be such a morning person?"

"Technically, I'm an evening person."

"Har har." I muttered as I climbed out of bed.

I went over to the white dresser and pulled out a gray t-shirt, and a pair of black skinny jeans. I pulled them on then went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wrestle with my hair.

After I was halfway presentable, I left the bathroom, and Layne handed me an already open envelope that contained my class schedule.

"You have theatre, English, and fencing with me," she crowed.

I smiled at her.

"Isn't it like, against the law to open other people's mail?" I joked.

"It isn't when that person is your best friend!" She declared happily, and we giggled. "Now c'mon, do you want to be late?"

We entered the common room, and Layne began waving at some people over in the corner. She brought me over to them and introduced me.

"Hey everyone, this is Sharin." No one responded. They were all too bus gaping at my mark.

I sighed. "Take a picture why don't you? It'll last longer!" They blushed and looked away. There was that sarcastic tendency again.

"Aww guys, Sharin is just like everybody else. Now don't be rude!"

"Sorry," a guy who I assumed was Kellan mumbled. He had a mop of wavy blonde hair, and muddy green eyes.

"Yeah, we didn't mean to offend you," a girl with shoulder-length curly red hair, and dark brown eyes hidden behind sleek frameless glasses claimed.

"Your mark is just really cool!" Said another girl who looked exactly like the other, minus the glasses.

"You- your twins!" I blurted out, and then turned red as I realized I'd been just as rude as them.

They didn't seem to mind, "We may look the same, but we are absolutely nothing alike," stated the girl without glasses, "I'm Dawn. Nice to meet you Sharin."

"And I'm Olivia," the bespectacled twin said timidly.

"Kellan here!" Kellan proclaimed, already seeming in a better mood.

"It's great to meet you all," I smiled warmly, "it'll be so much easier with friends."

Soon I was completely at ease, talking and joking with the gang like we were old friends.

"So Layne," I questioned jokingly, "where do you stand on the whole Count Chocula verses Lucky Charms debate?"

Layne didn't respond, because she was too busy glaring at someone behind me.

I turned slowly to see Samantha, shiny red bob perfectly straight, plump lips pursed into a pout that looked rehearsed.

"New girl, you're in my seat." She raised her eyebrows, as if she expected me to immediately vacate the chair, and sing my apologies at her converse sheathed feet.

People like her really ticked me off. Girls who thought they could push everyone else around, just for the sport of it.

"I don't see your name on it, Sammy."

Her pale skin reddened with anger, and I kept expecting to see steam come out of her triple pierced ears. "Nobody. Calls. Me. Sammy!" She screeched, and yanked the chair out from under me.

I crashed to the floor, the wind knocked out of me. Who did this girl think she was? I jumped to my feet and got right in her face. "You can't treat me like that. You shouldn't treat anyone like that! Just get out of here!" I screamed, shoving her with all my might.

Samantha shrieked, and flew ten feet across the room and crashed into the opposite wall.

I stood absolutely still. Shocked. What had just happened?


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer- I do not own any of the House of Night characters.**

**A/N- review. seriously. do it.**

Jezebel's POV

"Samantha(she detested being called Sam)if you don't get up now, we're going to be late!" I was awake and ready to go while Samantha was still asleep, and I had to wake her up, which usually involved more patience then I had.

She pulled the pillow off of her face and glared up at me.

"Make me!" She protested.

I so didn't need this. "Fine!" I retorted, and yanked the covers off of her.

"God Jez. I'm up, alright!" She climbed out of bed, her signature pout on her full red lips, walked over to the dresser, and began hunting through it.

Twenty minutes and six outfit changes later, we walked into the common room, in search of breakfast.

"I have to go, Kellan doesn't like me to keep him waiting." Samantha said sarcastically, as she couldn't stand Kellan.

"Yeah right. More like you don't like to miss anything."

She smirked and sauntered away, up to the table where Kellan, and the rest of his misfit group sat. I saw Sharin sitting among them, and grimaced. Now Samantha had to pretend to be friends with her too.

I picked up a plain bagel and sat at a table not too far away. I wanted to hear everything that happened.

Sharin was saying something about cereal—what the heck?—but no one was paying attention, because Samantha had just walked up.

She tapped Sharin on the shoulder with her perfectly manicured red nail, and said in a bored voice, "New girl, you're in my seat."

Sharin's eyes narrowed, and I could tell she didn't like being pushed around. Not a submissive one, I noted.

"I don't see your name on it Sammy," she said coldly. Oh she'd done it now. Samantha would kill her. She didn't let anyone call her Sammy, since that's what her dad had called her…before he'd died.

I watched as Samantha's pale skin grew red with anger. Goddess, she looked like an angry cartoon character.

"No. One. Calls. Me. Sammy!" She screeched, and yanked the chair out from underneath a very upset looking Sharin, who promptly crashed to floor, the breath knocked out of her.

By this point everyone had stopped what they were doing, and were watching the drama unfold.

Sharin sprung up from the carpeted floor and got right in Samantha's perfectly made-up face. I had to admit, the girl had guts.

"You can't talk to me like that!" Sharin shouted at Samantha, "You shouldn't talk to anyone like that! Why don't you just go away?" Sharin shoved Samantha with all her might and Samantha flew across the room and crashed into the opposite wall.

There was dead silence. What had just happened?


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer- I don't own House of Night, or any of its characters.**

**A/N- Reviews will indirectly save the planet!***

***or not**

Sharins POV

It was so silent, the sound of my heart racing was deafening. What had just happened? Had I done that?

Every eye was on me, every person staring. Why me?

I couldn't help it. It was just too much. I ran from the room, sobbing, tears blurring my vision.

Here was yet another way that I wasn't normal. Yet another wall between me and everyone else. I didn't want to be different! I just wanted to blend in, for once in my life! Why was that so difficult?

I found the door for me and Laynes room, and crashed through it, collapsing on my bed and crushing Teddy to me. I felt Calvin jump up onto the bed, and snuggle against my side, his soft fur tickling my face.

"Why do I always have to be the weird one, Calvin?" I sobbed, stroking his tiny head.

I was never normal. Even when I was younger, none of the other kids would come near me, because of my parents. Don't play with her! Their parents would say. No one wanted to be friends with vampire girl. No one wanted to come over and play when they were afraid you might bite them. Children, I had learned, think weirdness is contagious.

I cried until my eyes were dry and I had a pounding headache. I lay on the bed, hiccupping and clutching Teddy as though he were a life preserver, meant to float me through this ocean of loneliness.

I heard a soft knock on the door, and Layne walked in. Cautiously she came over to me, and sat down on the edge of the worn purple comforter.

"Sharin, I-

"Oh, don't pretend." I interrupted "you think I'm a freak just like everyone else, don't you? I bet you're scared of me now."

A small grin played on her lips. "More like in awe. That was amazing Sharin, and it was so good to see Samantha finally get what she deserved."

She scooted closer to me, and smoothed my hair. "You don't need to fit in with everyone else. You're amazing Sharin. You're pretty, and talented, and special. You will never be like everyone else, because then you wouldn't be you anymore."

I began to cry again, and Layne pulled me into a hug.

"Layne," I whispered, my voice cracked from crying, "You are the best friend I could ask for."

She smiled, and released me.

"I am curious though," I began, "Why do you guys even hang out with her?"

"Well, she's in Kellan's English class. They were assigned to be partners for a three-day project. On day one, Kellan couldn't stand her. Come day two, they were getting along like old friends, and on day three, I went to Kellan's room to borrow a book and found them making out." She shuddered.

"Yeah, that couldn't have been the most pleasant experience, for you or Kellan. I wonder what it's like to kiss a snake."

Layne laughed, "I know. It happened so fast too. One day he can't stand the girl, and the next they're playing tonsil hockey!"

We both shuddered this time, and then collapsed into a fit of giggles.

"Layne," I said, putting my hand on her thin shoulder, "you really are my best friend."

Laynes smiled, and I felt like even though it was night, the sun had come out. I had a friend.

"You're my best friend too, Sharin."


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer- I don't own House of Night. I also don't own Microwave Popcorn, but I can still be obsessive about it…

**A/N-Sorry it took so long to get this up. I got grounded, but I'm back now! I put up a poll on my profile (at least I think I did, I don't really get it) about who your favorite Affinity character is, so vote! And also, Review!**

Jezebel's POV

It was absolutely silent in the common room. I was in a daze, not quite understanding.

I was snapped out of it by Samantha's outraged shriek, as she threw the remains of someone's breakfast off herself, and muttered a string of profanities.

I dazedly registered Sharin rush out of the room, no doubt fleeing from the fury of Samantha.

I rushed over to Samantha, and tried to help her up out of the remains of a table. She began to stand, but then her ankle gave out.

"That little bitch broke my ankle!" she screeched.

"Samantha, calm down," I made a futile attempt at calming her while helping her up.

"I will not calm down!" she sneered, "Go tell that Sharin girl to calm down!"

I sighed as we hobbled into the nurses'** (A/N-I don't know what they call it)** room. She caught sight of Samantha's ankle and clucked her tongue.

"What happened?"

"That new girl Sharin shoved me into a table and broke my ankle!" Samantha shrieked, "Punish her!"

The nurse sighed and laid her hands on Samantha's swollen, discolored ankle, feeling for breaks.

"Well, these certainly aren't helping," she muttered as she pulled off one of Samantha's bright red platform shoes that had gotten in the way of her evaluation, and Samantha glowered.

"It isn't broken, Sweetie," the nurse declared, "just sprained. But you'll have to use these for the next couple of days." The nurse said as she handed Samantha a pair of aluminum crutches.

"I cannot believe this is happening to me!" she muttered, but she took them.

An hour later, Samantha had her foot wrapped in an ace bandage, and was hobbling back to our room with my help. She was in a mood to kill.

"I just can't even believe this," she said for the third time, "that little bitch should be expelled! She can go bleed out on the streets for all I care!"

Samantha was very superficial, and a swollen ankle might as well have been a scar on her flawless face. If she wasn't perfect, she wasn't Samantha.

Samantha was glowering, and I was trying to keep calm. Easier said than done around Samantha. Her affinity was influencing other people's emotions. She could only influence one person at a time, and depending on the emotion she tried, it could really exhaust her.

A few days ago Samantha had been paired with this freak named Kellan for a project. Kellan was a complete and total dork, and so annoying. So Samantha and me devised a plan. She would make Kellan fall in love with her, so that she could infiltrate his little misfit group, and find out the dorky things they did.

Samantha's gift worked slowly. It took about three days to simulate love, so that's what Samantha went for, saying it would be much more fun than just friendship.

I was worried that they would just kick Samantha out of the group, but she assured me that they would never do anything to hurt her, because she was important to Kellan.

Samantha shoving me forward brought me back to the present.

"Open the door for me Jez! I only have two hands, and they're both trying to help me balance on these metal death traps!"

I opened the door, and Samantha stormed inside—as much as anyone can storm on crutches—and collapsed onto the bed.

"I can not-

"-Believe this." I finished for her. "I know."

"And how did the little freak even do that? What kind of affinity is throwing people against walls?"

"Samantha," I said, trying to be patient, "I honestly don't know, now can we maybe get to class?"

"You expect me to go like this! I'm injured!" Samantha protested.

I rolled my eyes and pulled her up, sliding her crutches beneath her.

After we'd stumbled into class, forty minutes late, and read Prof. Candy one of our patented excuses we took out seats. Mine was once again, right behind Sharin, and for the rest of the period, I tried harder then ever to find out what was going on in her head.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer- I don't own it. Story of my life.**

**A/N- Pretty please review this for me, to raise my self esteem. Then I won't get depressed and insecure and end up living in the dumpster outside McDonalds. Also, thank you all so much for the reviews I've gotten already! I never expected this many! You guys rock!**

"Umm, Sharin," Layne said timidly, interrupting a long story involving Jack, a bucket of worms, and my underwear, "we should probably get to class."

I felt the blush rise to my cheeks. I had completely forgotten we were even in school.

"Oh, Goddess, I'm sorry! C'mon, let's go!" I pulled her off the bed and began tugging her toward the door. I so didn't want to ruin our friendship by getting her in trouble for being late!

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, totally!" I lied, "Now let's go!"

We hurried down the long hallway, our footsteps echoing eerily off the stone walls, and burst through the door of Prof. Candy's English class.

I flew threw the door and then stopped abruptly when I noticed the stares of the class. Well of course they'd stare! They wanted to know what the hell I'd done this morning! If I would do it to them. My cheeks were tomato red as I slunk into the classroom behind Layne.

"Girls," she said sternly, "I will not tolerate-

"I know," Layne cut her off, "and we are so, so, so sorry, like till the end of time! We'll never do it again, I swear to Nyx!" She said it all so fast that I had trouble following, as did Prof. Candy.

"Well, um, okay then."

"Nice," I whispered to Layne as we slid into our seats.

"I try."

Prof. Candy was interrupted yet again when the door flew open, and in hobbled that wretched girl Samantha, balancing on crutches and leaning heavily on a glowering Jezebel.

"Girls-" Prof. Candy began, but Jez cut her off even faster than Layne had.

"I know we're late and we are very sorry. It was a….family problem. We won't be late again."

Jez helped Samantha into her seat, and then slid into the chair behind mine.

I could feel Jezebels eyes boring into the back of my head, and tried to ignore it, instead taking careful notes on Prof. Candy's lecture on the book Dracula, although I'd read it so many times I could recite it in my sleep.

I could practically taste Jezebel's frustration, and I had to wonder yet again what her problem was. How could someone whom I'd just met take such a sudden, intense disliking to me?

I could feel that strange searching in my mind again, tugging, creeping just under my consciousness. I just knew it was connected to Jezebel, and I wanted it to stop.

"Will you quit it!" I hissed over my shoulder.

"Quit what?" Jezebel responded.

That one slowed me down. I wasn't exactly sure what she was doing.

"Just….stop doing whatever you're doing to my mind!" Oh great, I sounded like a complete nut job.

"I'm not doing anything," Jez insisted, oh so innocent, but I felt the strange force searching my mind retreat.

Prof. Candy dismissed class, and Layne came over to me.

"Wow, was that boring or what?"

"Eh, yeah. Boring." I responded, my thoughts elsewhere.

I rose from my seat and saw Kellan giving me the evil eye as he helped Samantha onto her crutches.

"What's his problem?" I questioned.

"I told you before, Kellan is completely obsessive when it comes to Samantha. He dotes on her, you put her on crutches. You do the math. Speaking of math, I'm going to be late for it! Bye!" Layne gave me a quick hug, then hurried away. Wow, that girl talked fast.

"Hey Sharin," Jezebel said, seeming to appear out of nowhere, voice dripping with fake sweetness, "can we talk?"

It wasn't a question, and I soon found myself being pulled into a bathroom.

"Listen freak," Jezebel said coldly, the phony niceness gone from her voice, "I want to know what you did back there."

I raised my eyebrows. "I told you to quit messing with my mind," I said coolly.

"You know what I mean," Jez hissed, grabbing my wrist.

" I can honestly tell you that I have no idea what happened in the common room today. Now I suggest that you let go of me, before I scream so loud that every authority figure in this building rushes in here, and I tell them you're crazy." I yanked my wrist away and whirled toward the door.

"No," Jez said, her voice oddly calm, "it doesn't work that way. No matter what you do, I will find out what I need to know."

She turned and strode out the door, as calmly as if we'd just had a conversation about the weather.

I waited until I was sure she was gone, and then another few minutes to collect myself. I cautiously pushed open the bathroom door, and looked around. Then I opened the door all the way, and ran sobbing to my room for the second time today.

In some tiny, off task part of my brain, I wondered if this was going to be a regular thing.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer- I don't own House of Night. Or a dog. Just thought I'd let you know.**

**A/N-Oh. My. God. 80 reviews!! You guys are soooo awesome! I never expected this much of a response! I love you guys (but not enough that you have to worry)!**

Jezebel's POV

Prof. Candy finally dismissed us, after forcing us to listen to her drone on and on about some dumb book, and I caught to Sharin and pulled her aside.

"Hey Sharin," I said, my voice coated in so much phony niceness I nearly choked on it, "can we talk?"

I pulled her into the girl's bathroom, and slammed the door shut behind us.

"Listen Freak," I said coldly, "I want to know what you did back there."

I saw the fear flash across Sharins' face, but it was replaced with a cool, indifferent gaze so fast that I wondered if I'd seen it at all. She was good.

"I told you to quit messing with my mind," she said, in a voice that made me grind my teeth together. How the hell was she so calm about this?

"You know what I mean." I hissed, grabbing her wrist and yanking hard.

Now Sharin made no attempt to mask the fear that was plain on her pale face. I saw myself reflected in her deep blue eyes. I looked like a crazy person. Someone raging at the world. I looked like my mother.

"I can honestly tell you that I have no idea what happened in the common room today," Sharin said, cool demeanor ruined by the shaking of her voice, "Now I suggest you let go of me, before I scream so loud that every adult in this building shows up here, and I tell them you're crazy."

She yanked her wrist away, and although I could have held on, I let her. I was too disturbed by the look I'd seen in my eyes. My eyes like my mothers.

"No, It doesn't work that way," I stated, feeling oddly detached. "No matter what you do, I will find out what I need to know."

I swept out the door, trying to seem calm and collected, hiding my emotions, an art I'd mastered.

My hands were shaking as I turned the knob on the door of Prof. Sylvia's Math class.

Prof. Sylvia reprimanded me for my tardiness, and I just nodded meekly, accepting her chastisement. My mind was elsewhere.

From the very beginning, my mother hadn't been the touchy feely type. I learned fast that High Priestess Neferet was no ones "mommy". She'd lectured me about the importance of becoming High Priestess, of overthrowing Zoey. I never formed my own opinion on anything, I realized. My mother forced hers upon me.

Was I turning into my bitter, cold mother? I hadn't thought so. I looked back and realized that I had torn down quite a few people with my mother's words, her opinions dominating my actions.

I asked to use the bathroom and rushed through the empty hallway, my footsteps making resonating hollowly in the vast, empty hallways.

I reached the bathroom and pulled open the heavy oaken door, rushing over to the mirror.

I pulled my hair back from my face, and gazed into the mirror, then I released my auburn mane and let it settle around my shoulders

There was my long, flame red hair. My mother's hair. My deep, moss green eyes. My mother's eyes. My pale skin and high cheekbones. It all belonged to my mother.

Was there anything about me that was just me, I wondered.

Did I really dislike Sharin?

Or was that just because I had been taught to?

Was I really a mean person?

Or had I just been conditioned into it?

I left the bathroom confused, and as I stumbled back to class, questions bounced around in my head like ping-pong balls.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer- I don't own House of night.**

**A/N- I'm really addicted to reviews, like so much that's its not even funny anymore! Only you can help, so I suggest you do!! Review!! : )**

Sharin's POV

I reached me and Laynes' room and turned the knob with shaking hands. It took several tries, but I finally got it open, and then I ran inside and threw myself onto the bed, burying my face in a soft pillow.

I cried until my eyes were dry and my head ached. I cried until the world was spinning and I felt as parched as a desert. I cried and I cried, and when I ran out of tears, I slept.

I was deep underwater, surrounded by nothing but an endless deep blue. The silence pushed down on me, and I began to run out of air. I could see the surface above me, sunlight glinting off it. I swam hard, reaching my arms out as far as they could go, kicking my legs with all my strength, but I could not reach the top.

Then, in a flash, deep inside a rainforest. There were so many colors surrounding me, jaded sunlight breaking through the very tops of the tallest trees, and filtering down to me. Something was wrong, but I didn't know what. Then I realized, I could hear no birds chirping, no rustlings of animals in the bushes. It was absolutely silent. I felt something tug at my ankle, and looked down. There was a vine wrapped twice around my left ankle. I tried to pull my foot away, but I couldn't. The vine began to climb higher. Around my knees, my waist, my chest my neck. Finally it reached my face. It blocked out the light. I couldn't see, couldn't breath.

Another flash, and I was in a village, like the ones in pictures on the pages of my old textbooks. The people around me were running and screaming, trampling each other, in their desperation to escape from…. what? I turned around and saw it, a huge volcano, with molten lava sliding down the side in a fiery avalanche. I began running too, but I wasn't getting anywhere. I looked down and saw my feet were encased in hardened lava. I couldn't move, couldn't even scream. By now the village was empty of people, all having made their escape. I struggled to free myself but couldn't, and the lava crept closer, until it engulfed me.

I was high on a mountain, strong winds pushing and pulling me from all sides. I scrambled to keep my footing, but the wind proved mightier than me, and I was soon hurtling through the air. The winds pushed me faster, and tossed me about like a feather. I saw the ground coming at me and screamed. It was getting closer and closer, rising up to meet me, until I crashed to the ground.

I was standing in a cave. The walls were smooth stone, glistening with condensation. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, and whirled around, expecting the worst. Just a shadow. But then the shadow moved. It came closer to me, advancing. I tried not to panic, it was just a shadow, it couldn't touch me. It came closer and closer, leering. Then, to my shock, it grabbed me. I could see nothing but the inky black of the shadow as it covered my eyes. I tried to scream, and it choked me off.

I was in a clearing, by a beautiful waterfall. I recognized this place. It was where Nyx had spoken to me, but this time I was alone. Or at least I thought I was, but then I heard a splash.

I turned around, and there was Nyx, in all her unearthly glory.

"My daughter, you control the elements, they do not control you. Use them wisely."

"Nyx!" I gasped

She smiled, "the path will be bumpy, the climb treacherous, but you must keep trying."

She began to fade away, and I gasped.

"No! Nyx don't leave me!"

Calvin, who had chosen that moment to pounce onto my chest, jolted me awake.

I pushed myself up on my elbows and began to absentmindedly pet his small white head, considering the dream.

Was it a message from Nyx? What had she meant when she said that I controlled the elements?

I sighed and fell back on the bed.

My life just kept getting more and more confusing.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer- I don't own the House of Night, but I do own my story!**

_Jezebels POV_

When class let out, I hurried back to my room, anxious to get away from it all.

I was going so fast that I nearly bumped into Zoey.

Oh great.

"Hello, Jez," she said warmly in her lilting soprano.

"Uh, hi," I mumbled. I so didn't need this.

As she looked into my eyes, I could see her smooth brow furrow. Zoey, like all adult vampyres, had a mind reading power. Not so much that she knew what I was thinking, I hoped. Just so much that she knew something was wrong.

"Is something bothering you?" She asked. She looked so kind, like the mother I'd never had, that the whole story almost came pouring out. But I stopped myself just in time, and she said goodbye and walked away.

When Zoey disappeared around the corner, I let out a breath I hadn't even known I was holding, and continued to my room.

When I finally reached the light blue door and turned the knob, letting myself into me and Samantha's room I sighed in relief.

I smiled for what felt like the first time in ages when I saw my cat, Jasper, curled up next my pillow, purring away and dreaming about whatever it is cats dream about.

But my smile was short lived as I threw myself down on the bed, remembering the days confusing events.

As I thought about my eyes mirroring my mothers, I sighed in frustration. I didn't want to be like my mother. She was cruel and cold. I didn't want to be that way, I hoped to Nyx it wasn't too late for me.

My thoughts drifted, and I found myself thinking of Zoey. She was so warm, so motherly and bright. So caring and sweet. Why wasn't my mother like that?

I felt something wet on my cheek, and realized with a shock that I was crying. I hadn't cried, not for real, since I was six.

I had been playing in my front yard with my stuffed bear, Shoosby—a name that I still didn't fully comprehend, as it made no sense whatsoever—and a boy who had apparently decided to make it his mission to torture me came up and stole him. I begged for his return, but the boy held him just out of my reach. I got so upset that I became irrational. I shoved the boy and told him that if he didn't give my bear back, I would call my mother, and she would suck his blood. The boys face turned ashen with fear, and then red with anger. He smacked me across the face so hard that my head snapped to the side, and threw Shoosby into the busy street, where a car trampled him.

I screamed and ran into the house, sobbing. I located my mother on the porch and threw myself into her arms, wanting nothing more than a comforting touch, soothing words.

Instead, my mother angered. She picked me up off her lap and set me on the ground, then stood up and looked me in the eye. High Priestesses do not cry, she had told me firmly, and I had never shed another tear from that day on, desperate for my mothers approval.

I realized that this was yet another example of how I was controlled by my mother. I screamed into my pillow, and the tears flowed freely, staining the fabric.

I cried for all the times I had not before. I cried for the past, for the present, for the future I was so frightened of. I cried until I coughed, and ran out of tears, and then I slept.

I was in a clearing in the middle of a thick, jade green forest in full bloom. The warm air smelled faintly of summer, and the tall grass tickled my legs. There was a shimmering pool in the middle of the clearing, with water from a tall, cascading waterfall flowing into it.

I heard splashing from behind, and I turned to see a woman so beautiful, so indescribably stunning, that I knew in an instant that it was Nyx

Her long shiny blue-black hair hung to her waist, and she wore a long dress that looked as though it were made of moonlight and stars.

"Hello, Jezebel." Nyx said softly, in a voice like chiming bells.

"Nyx!" I gasped, "Nyx it's you!" Before I could think, I ran forward and threw myself into her warm embrace, sobbing into her shoulder.

"Please, help me. I'm so confused!"

"Shhh, my daughter. All will be well." Nyx rubbed small circles on my back and held me until my sobs were reduced to hiccups, then she pushed me out from her and held me by the shoulders, looking into my eyes.

"You have done much wrong, my daughter," she murmured, "but you are by no means bad. You are not your mother, Jezebel, always remember that."

Nyx leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I gasped as I searing pain erupted there, and Nyx vanished.

When I awakened, I instinctively fumbled for my compact mirror. I opened it, and gasped at what I saw in the mirror.

There was a girl, with long fiery red hair and deep moss green eyes. She had pale skin and high cheekbones.

She had mark as black as night.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer- I don't own it. Shocking, I know.**

**A/N-Hey guys, here's an extra long chapter for you, cause you're so awesome, and also because I won't be writing between 5/19 and 5/23 because I'm staying with my friend while my mom's in the hospital, but it won't last. Also, that whole situation with the other author was just a big misunderstanding. We were both under a lot of stress and we worked it out. As always, review!**

Jezebel's POV

I stared into the tiny mirror. I felt numb, unable to believe this.

I threw the compact down, cracking the plastic, no doubt, and rushed to the bathroom to examine this strange new development in a larger mirror.

There it was again, dark as night, that midnight crescent outline. Now that I looked closer, I could see the faintest etchings of wavy lines coming off it. It reminded me of Sharins mark.

Why had this happened? Had I really found Nyx's favor?

Most of me was frightened, wondering what this meant for me, for the future. But there was a tiny part of me, hidden in the back of my mind, which was excited by this. It felt pure ecstasy at this, like a long forgotten, primal happiness that was thrilled at a Goddess's choice. I looked wilder in some way. Different than when I had been just another fledgling.

I gulped and leaned forward to examine it closer. It had a slightly glossy look to it, like shiny black stone.

I reached up and brushed it ever so slightly with my fingertips. I felt an electrifying chill go up my fingertips when they brushed the mark, and shivered.

The mark—my mark—was beautiful. It may have scared me, but I could not deny it's beauty, and as I gazed at in the mirror, I felt the fear ebb, giving way to a glad, fuzzy, warm feeling.

If I hadn't been so distracted, I probably would have noticed Samantha coming into our room

"Hey Jez," she said from the bedroom, soundly uncharacteristically perky.

Oh no. Samantha. She must be in a good mood, I reasoned, since her happiness filled me the moment she entered the room.

Maybe I could play that to my advantage. Get her talking about whatever great thing had happened to her, and keep her from noticing my new mark until—oh, who was I kidding? Nothing short of an earthquake would keep anyone from noticing my new mark, and even that was iffy.

I gazed into the mirror one last time. The midnight crescent outline stood out in pale relief to the rest of my pale face, looking exotic and almost magical.

I took a deep breath, and walked out into the bedroom, taking careful steps, although I was in my own room.

"Jez, do you know where my green skir-" As she turned around she caught sight of my mark and trailed off, her face transforming into a look of confusion, then shock.

"Holy crap! Jez! Your mark!"

"I-I know."

"What…I mean when…how did this happen?" Samantha screeched.

"I'm not sure," I said slowly, concentrating, "I had a dream, where Nyx spoke to me. She—she told me that I wasn't bad. She kissed me on the forehead. I woke up and then," I gestured vaguely toward the ebony mark, "this."

"Oh great," Samantha mumbled, "she's turning into some kind of freak!"

Now that was insulting. I was scared, and freaked, and all I could get was Samantha saying I'm a freak. I felt my face grow red with anger. I felt something growing inside me. My skin began to tingle.

"I am not a freak!" I shouted.

Samantha's face paled, and she began to stutter, "I-I mean…you're not! I just--" Samantha stopped abruptly and gasped. "Holy crap!"

"Goddess Samantha, you really shouldn't swear so much," I said, forcing a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. When it didn't work, I sighed, "what?" She didn't answer, just kept staring at me as though I'd suddenly grown another head.

I felt strange all over, like a tingling sensation. I went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. Except I wasn't there.

As soon as I realized this, the air shimmered, and I reappeared, looking perfectly normal, not a hair out of place.

The first thing that hit me was the shock, my mind automatically rejecting this impossibility. I'd known that a few, very powerful vampyres could manipulate the elements to cloak themselves, but this was different. For a few moments, I just, wasn't there.

The second thing that hit me was the exhaustion, like a wave, it swept over me. My knees buckled and I fell to the cold tile floor, gasping.

I had just turned invisible. Invisible as in not there. Nyx had gifted me the…ability to turn invisible.

I saw darkness closing in on me, my vision growing dimmer and dimmer. I felt my head hit the tile, and I passed out.

Whoa, déjà vu. I was in that same clearing, with the waterfall, and I was sitting on a large boulder overlooking the calm pool, with none other than Nyx. In the back of my mind, I actually managed to feel proud that I'd received two visits in one day. Goddess, sometimes I amazed myself with how vain I could be.

"Daughter," Nyx said, jolting me out of my internal babbling, "you have discovered your gift."

"Yes Goddess," I responded, reminded of the situation at hand, "and I don't understand. Why me? What have I done to deserve it?"

"Jezebel, you are a very special girl. Your destiny is a great one." Nyx smiled warmly, "you must remember though, things are not always what they seem to be."

There was no gradual fading this time. I awoke just as suddenly as I had fallen asleep, and cautiously began to rise.

I glanced at my reflection out of habit. There was a knot forming on the side of my head where I'd hit it when I went down, and my hair was a mess, my face flushed. The mark was still there, no surprise.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was funny, I realized. I was receiving a text. Reality was moving on, even when my life had just received a huge jolt to it's delicate balance, the rest of the world continued seamlessly.

I pulled out my white iPhone and saw that the text was from Mara, the annoying blonde, detailing new gossip. I rolled my eyes and stabbed the delete button without reading the message. I was just about to put the phone away when I realized something. I had to call my mother.

I took a deep breath and pressed speed dial six, part of me praying she wouldn't answer.

"What, Jez?" She answered on the third ring, sounding very irritable.

"Well, I um…"

"Get on with it! Goddess Jez, must we go over this every time? When you call, tell me what you want to tell me, don't just stutter like a mindless idiot!"

I felt my face redden from anger. I was so sick of getting pushed around by her.

"I was just calling to tell you that I've been gifted by Nyx," I said coldly, "My mark has been added on to, and I now posses the power of invisibility." I said it with a dry, clinical tone, and I could practically feel her shock over the phone line.

There was silence for so long, I began to wonder if she'd disconnected, but then she began to laugh. The sound was like a mocking of real laughter, I bad imitation. It was my mother's laugh.

"Do you realize what this mean?" She crowed, "you've been chosen by Nyx! Oh now you will most definitely beat that sniveling Sharin girl for High Priestess! Oh yes! Soon I will be in power again!"

No. It was wrong. My mother did not deserve to be High Priestess. She was a twisted, bitter woman, and I was sick of her.

"No, mother. I am not going to make you High Priestess." With that I stabbed the OFF button.

When the high wore off, I sat down heavily on my bed, still exhausted from my little invisibility excursion, and shocked by what I'd just done.

I had just hung up on my mother. I had just hung up on my insane, twisted mother. I had just hung up on my crazy, evil, power hungry mother.

I had just hung up on my mother, and I'd never felt more alive.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer-I still don't own the House of Night. Pity me. Wahh.**

**A/N-hey, I'm back. Thought you could get rid of me, didn't you? Sorry I was gone for so long. Family stuff. Wassup my awesome peeps? I just need to scream in happiness! 108 reviews! All good! Holy Moo! (yes I do say that. I also say what the moo.) You guys are awesome! Keep it up!**

Sharins POV

Layne entering the room interrupted me from my internal pity party.

"Hey Shar. Are you feeling any better? I know things were kind of rough for you this morning." Goddess, she was so nice.

"Yeah, I feel better." But I saw in her eyes that she knew I was lying.

"Girl, if you have to lie, at least be good at it." When I didn't laugh at her attempt to lighten the mood, she sighed and pulled me into a hug. "Okay, what's happened now?"

I looked up into Layne's gray-blue eyes. They were filled with acceptance and caring.

I took a shaking breath, and the entire story came pouring out. Jezebel's confrontation, my dream, Nyx's message, all of it.

"Wow." Was all Layne had to say. Oh I just completely freaked her out?

"Umm, Sharin?" Layne said, her voice shaking, "I think we should go see your mum."

"My mom?" It hadn't even occurred to me, but that seemed to be the really obvious solution. Cue mental head-slap.

"My mom." I said again, no longer a question.

I jumped up and began towards the door, expecting Layne to follow. This was, after all, her idea.

I turned back to see her sitting on the bed, suddenly absorbed in her purple converse.

"Uh, Layne. Are you coming?"

"Well, I…umm...I mean I just…I'm scared of your mum."

"My mom?" The same woman who shrieked when she saw a spider? Who still couldn't watch _Titanic _without crying, even though she'd seen it, like, a million times?

"Well, yeah." Layne said softly, hanging her head. "She's just so powerful, you know?"

Yeah, I did, but to be scared of her?

I began to snicker, and then that became a giggle, which evolved quickly into full-out laughing. Layne stared at me at me for a moment, dumbstruck, and then she began to laugh too.

"It is pretty ridiculous." She managed to get out between laughs.

We must have lay there, on the bed, laughing, for a good twenty minutes. It felt like it had been eons since I'd had a good, cleansing, laugh-till-you-cry chuckle spree.

"I promise you, Layne," I said when I could breath again, "my mother will not hurt you. She wouldn't even kill the ant that crawled into our kitchen! She brought it back outside in a paper-towel!" We both chuckled a bit.

"Okay." Layne said. "Let's go."

We spent the walk to my mother's office telling stories about ridiculous things that our mothers had done.

When we arrived there, the door was partway open, and I was just about to go in when I heard voices from inside.

Now I am not usually one to eavesdrop, but when I heard Jezebel's voice from through the heavy oaken door, I had to stop, pulling Layne to a halt too.

"- That I'm not a bad girl." Jezebel was saying. "And then she gifted me with this mark, and affinity, and I'm just so confused."

Jezebel, confused? Jezebel didn't seem like one to get confused to me. She seemed like on to laugh and point at the people who did get confused.

"Jez," came my mother's soothing voice, "Nyx has chosen you. You are a very special girl."

"But what about…my mother?"

"Jezebel, sweetie, you are by no means Neferet."

Neferet. Why did that name sound familiar? Had I heard it during one of Mom and Dad's Sharin-is-asleep-so-now-we-can-talk-about-important-stuff—or make out, which, let me tell you, was not a pleasant experience for sleeping five-year old me—talks?

"I-I know." Came Jezebel's voice. "Thank you." I heard a chair scrape as she rose to leave.

"Thank you for coming to me. I know what your mother must have told you about me, and it's good that you trust me. Always remember, Nyx is watching over you. If you ever want to talk about something, you can come to me, Jezebel."

"Thank you Priestess."

I could hear the smile in my mother's voice. "Zoey. My name is Zoey."

Jezebel thanked her a final time, and turned to leave. Through the door—unless she'd suddenly developed supernatural walking-through-walls abilities--which I was currently hiding behind, with Layne beside me, looking shocked.

Before I had time to move, or even react, Jez came through the door, and saw me.

I think she said something, but I wasn't sure, because I was too busy staring at the mark on her head.

A mark as black as night, and shiny like stone.

A mark with wavy lines coming off of it that glistened in the light.

A mark much like the one currently residing on my own forehead.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer- I don't own The House of Night.**

**A/N- Sorry I wasn't updating for so long. Also, check out my other stories! Please! They feel lonely! Wow, chapter 20 already! Oh, and donnamarie geoffry, there'll be some Darius soon.**

Zoey's POV

I ran my hand through my long, dark brown hair and let out a sigh, dropping my head to the old oaken desk. Goddess, everything was so stressful right now.

After Sharin was marked and chosen, I knew she would always be different. Always endure the stares of others. And lately, she had this look in her eye, like she was hiding something. I knew about the accident in the common room, with that girl Samantha (if you asked me, she had it coming) and I figured a vision, or a dream from Nyx would soon follow, affirming that Sharin was chosen, but none came. At least not as far as I knew. Sharin wouldn't hide it from me…would she?

"Priestess," said a small voice, "May I…I mean, well… could I talk to you?"

I was a little bewildered, but I got over it quickly and said, in my warmest voice, "Of course, come on in."

So Jezebel walked in. Jezebel, who was Neferet's daughter. And if this wasn't enough, Jezebel had a new mark gracing her forehead. It was shiny like onyx, black as night, and, except for the color, exactly like Sharin's.

My mouth actually fell open in shock, but I shut it quickly, and tried to smile. Suddenly it was a lot harder to remember how.

"Don't pretend like it's no big deal. I know it's the same as Sharin's. I know she's probably told you about what a bitch I've been. I know that…" Jezebel broke off, her hard exterior and uncaring expression melting away. "I-I'm so confused."

Information overload here. Neferet's daughter had a mark that looked like my daughters, Jezebel actually appeared to be opening up, and most importantly, someone was mistreating Sharin.

"What do you mean, you've been a bitch? What did you do to her?" I came out a little sharper than I'd intended, and Jez shrank back in her chair, hiding her face behind a curtain of fiery red hair that was all too familiar to me.

"My mom, she told me to find out about Sharin, to be intimidating. I'm not used to disobeying her." Jezebel's voice quavered, and all the bite melted out of me.

"Your mother. I see. Honey, you don't have to do everything Neferet tells you to do. She's a horrible woman, bitter and cold, and you're not like her."

Jezebel smiled, and I realized that she was really a pretty girl, more beautiful even than Neferet herself. "I know. And I told…Neferet," I could tell she delighted in no longer thinking of the woman as her mother, "that. I won't do her dirty work anymore. Nyx gave me a dream and… an affinity. Other than the one I have, I mean."

Another affinity? "What have you been gifted with?" Goddess, being so cordial all the time was exhausting.

"Invisibility." Jezebel said excitedly.

"And what happened in your dream?"

"Well, Nyx told me that I wasn't bad. Then she gifted me with this mark, and affinity, and I'm just so confused."

"Jezebel," I said, "Nyx has chosen you. You are a very special girl."

I saw Jez grow pale again, "but what about my mother?"

"Jezebel, sweetie, you are by no means your mother."

"I-I know. Thank you Priestess." She stood up to leave.

"Zoey," I said, reverting from my High Priestess voice, "my name is Zoey."

Jezebel's smile could have outshined the sun as she left the room. She really was a good girl. Just so mislead be Neferet.

I turned back to my computer and began typing once again, when I heard a gasp from outside. I jumped up and rushed to the door. There was Sharin, her silver mark shining, and Jezebel, her midnight mark like a mirror image.

The girls stared at each other, shocked.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer- I don't own the House of Night.**

**A/N- Sorry it took so long for me to update. Real life got in the way. This chapter is kind of intense, and sad. Tell me what you think.**

Sharin's POV

Time seemed to slow, and the universe narrowed. I stared at what was right in front of me, without really seeing anything. Jezebel Blake had my mark. It was the color of darkness. No, it wasn't any color. It was the absence of color, never-ending, infinite and yet so close, skin deep.

"Wha-what?" I heard a strangled voice say, before realizing it was my own.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and some distant part of me registered it as my mother. Layne was standing in the corner, still as a statue, open-mouthed in shock.

I'm not sure what would have happened next, but we didn't get a chance to find out, because Prof. Sylvia suddenly came running down the hall, gasping for air and looking as though she'd seen a ghost.

"Priestess, Priestess!" She gasped, running up to my mother, "Samantha Baron, she's in the common room. She-she…she's rejecting the change!"

My mother paled, her chocolate eyes widening in surprise and horror. Then she shot into action. Dashing down the hall, hair flying behind her. I don't know what exactly compelled me to follow her, but soon I was racing after her, Jez beside me.

The common room seemed shockingly different when I first set foot in it, then I figured out why. No one was talking; there was no laughter, no joking, and no sound of TVs with the volume much to high. Complete and utter silence.

Then there came a cough, bloody and wet sounding, like the ones I'd experienced. Mom shoved through the crowd of girls surrounding Samantha, and there she lay on the floor.

Her red hair, usually shiny and perfect, was now hanging limp around her cheeks, which were an ashen color, unhealthy and gaunt. She twitched, and a spray of blood burst from her mouth, staining her crisp white blouse, roses where there were none before.

"Girls," said my mother, her voice shaking, "return to your dormitories. This is not something I wish for you to see." The girls obeyed immediately, almost as if they'd been waiting for permission to leave.

Samantha coughed again, a painful sound, and moaned, her eyes rolling back into her head. Samantha's lifeblood was pouring from her limp body, covering my mother and I.

My mother soothed Samantha, smoothing her hair from her forehead, which was sticky with sweat and blood, murmuring gentle words, assurances, empty promises.

Samantha's POV

Dying does not happen all at once. It takes months to create life, and it is not stolen in moments. Life first leaves the body, turning it pale and stiff, brittle and cold. The eyes come last, but they beg throughout. They plead, and they cry, tears tinted pink. They apologize.

You always think you have time, all the time you could need. You think you'll have time to apologize to all the people you've wronged, to say sorry to those that you've hurt. But you're wrong. Your time is limited, so short, like the blink of an eye. Life fades slowly, and gives you time to remember. You do not get to apologize, but you get to know that what you did was wrong, that those you've hurt did not deserve pain. You do not get to apologize, but you get to forgive yourself.

Sharin's POV

It was silent as my mother spoke, her clear voice ringing.

When Mom became High Priestess, she changed the rule about death. Every fledgling who didn't make it deserved a funeral, a chance to be honored and remembered on the grounds of Nyx. You could mourn for as long as you needed, but you had to continue. The best way to adjust to death it wasn't to ignore it, it was to accept it.

"Samantha Baron was beautiful, intelligent, and tough. She had a hard exterior, but it came from a little shared past. Samantha will be remembered, and cared for. Let us pray for Samantha Baron as she returns to the arms of Nyx." My mother bowed her head, and the crowd did the same.

When someone dies, they say, they become made for life. They are depicted as perfect, with good grades and poise and beauty. My mother did not lie when she spoke of the deceased. She spoke of them as they were, and as they deserved to be remembered. Everyone was good, there were just so many that were confused, she said.

Lying in bed later, I found myself thinking about Samantha. I hadn't liked her at all, but she was the one who had chosen to hate me. I wondered if she was sorry that she'd been cruel. I wondered if she was embracing Nyx.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer- I don't own the House of Night.**

**A/N- Sorry this took so long. Computer issues. Also, I've started another major story, so I'm an idiot, because now I'll stress about both. Anyway, check it our. Here's the link ****.net/s/5084049/1/Consequenses**** .**

Sharin's POV

It had been six days since Samantha's death. I wasn't sure why I'd counted, but it had just seemed right to me. I lay my head down on the pillow and sighed. I felt as though it had been my fault. What if I'd done something to her when I'd knocked her down? Had I killed someone? Just the thought of it brought waves of guilt so intense that I cringed.

There was a knock at the door. "Come on in Layne. It's your room too."

I turned, expecting to see Layne's concerned gray-blue eyes, and wispy blonde curls. Instead, there stood Jezebel.

"What are you doing here?" I asked coldly.

Jezebel raised her chin and narrowed her moss green eyes, donning her usual mask. She opened her mouth to speak, and the mask crumbled.

"I- I just wanted to talk to you." I thought I saw a tear in Jez's eye, but no, that's wasn't possible. This wasn't a girl who cried.

"About what?" I said slowly, suspiciously.

"Aren't you the least bit curious?" Jezebel asked incredulously, plopping down on the bed next to me without invitation, "About these marks? About the fact that Nyx has gifted us with these marks, these similarities? Don't you wonder about it?"

The truth was, I did. Almost every moment was spent pondering the whys, the hows, of this strange occurrence. Why had Nyx done this, created this forced alliance between us two, the most unlikely pair there was?

"Yes." I admitted. "Do you have any idea?"

"Oh yeah," Jezebel said sarcastically, "I've got the whole thing figured out, and I just came here to see if you knew yet."

"Point taken." I mumbled. "So what do we do?"

Jezebel's uncaring demeanor melted away. "I don't know."

We sat in an awkward silence, each thinking our own thoughts.

"Do you think Nyx…I mean…has she visited you?" Jez's voice shattered the fragile silence, seeming like a violation to the quiet, tense atmosphere.

"Yeah." I said. "It was a dream. A nightmare. I was being tortured by each of the elements, one at a time. Then Nyx came. She took me to…" For some reason I felt unwilling to give up this secret location, where the Goddess had visited me.

"Where?" Jez said eagerly, her eyes wide. "Was it…a waterfall?"

"Yes!" I gasped. "Did you go there too?"

Jez nodded slowly, as if in shock. I collapsed back onto the bed.

"What'd she tell you?" I questioned.

"Basically, that I wasn't a bad girl. Then…" Jez trailed off, eyeing me warily.

"Okay, listen," I said, exasperated, "Apparently, Nyx wants us to work together or something, so we have to trust each other. No more evasions."

Jez nodded, and took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "Nyx visited me again after she gave me…an affinity."

I nodded, eager for more, but Jez stopped suddenly. "Wouldn't you already know, seeing as though you were spying on me from outside your mother's office?"

"Chill out, okay? I didn't hear much, and I remember even less. I was just there to tell her about my…issues."

"You mean creepy dreams and visits from the Goddess?" Jez said wryly.

"Yeah, that. So anyway, affinity?"

"Nyx gave me invisibility."

Whoa. Invisibility? I knew that adult vampyres with incredible power, like my mother, could sometimes use the elements to cloak themselves, but this was different.

"Wait, so you can actually…turn invisible?"

"No shit Sherlock." Jez muttered.

"Can you show me?" I asked, breathless.

"No. I've tried. Apparently, I can only do it when I have a strong emotion."

"Oh." I said, unable to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

"How about you?" Jez asked suddenly, "Anything weird going on in Sharin-ville?"

"Just what you've already seen. That thing in the common room with…Samantha—it seemed weird to say the name of someone dead in a conversation like that—and a dream. Nyx told me that I control the elements."

"Whoa." Said Jezebel. "You mean all of them, like your Mom?" I nodded.

"Do you know what you did in the common room?" Jez inquired.

"No idea. Maybe I used wind to push her away?" Jez shook her head.

"There was no breeze around," she explained.

"Then I don't know," admitted. "Do you want to try to find out?"

She nodded.

So we tried, and tried. Telekinesis was a theory, but we had no proof. For all we knew, I was Yoda, and I'd used the Force.

Jez tried, unsuccessfully except for a few hair, and once, and entire eyebrow, to turn invisible, while I made pathetic attempts at levitating a very annoyed Calvin, who eventually dashed under the bed, no longer willing to endure such torture.

I yawned and glanced at the clock, which flashed a luminescent green 6:50 AM.

"I think we should get some sleep." Jez murmured, speaking my thoughts aloud.

I nodded and we said goodnight.

Just as she was about to leave, some impulse made me take her hands. The world began to fade around us, melting into another scene.

There was a man, devastatingly beautiful, and a woman, who I knew immediately, was Neferet. Creatures, disgusting, unnatural, repulsive creatures surrounded them. Neferet and the man were facing away from us, toward a mass of people that I recognized as most of the student population of the Tulsa House of Night. I immediately picked out Layne. She was right in the front.

But she was wrong. There was no mark on her pale forehead, and her eyes were black pools, void of their gray-blue irises and compassionate shine. I gasped, and Neferet whirled on me.

I felt Jez's hand yank out of mine, distantly, and the disturbing vision vanished.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer- I. OWN. NOTHING.**

**A/N- The response to this story is amazing! My other stories are jealous, and would love some of this attention. To find them, just look on my profile!**

Jezebel's POV

Sharin grasped my hands suddenly as I turned to go, and before I could wonder why, the world around me faded abruptly.

The sky was blood red. That was the first thing I noticed as I was plunged into this disturbing vision.

My mother was there. That was the second thing. She had her back to me, and her arms raised toward the sky, fiery red hair, so like my own, cascading down her back and whipping around in some kind of strange vortex of wind which surrounded only her. Before her stood…every single vampyre at the Tulsa House of Night, both student and professor.

Okay, there was something very, very wrong here. When I concentrated, I could feel things in the real world. Sharin's hands grasping mine, the scrubby carpet beneath my feet. All distant, unreal.

I looked again at the crowd of vampyres before my mother. I recognized Layne, Sharin's roommate, and Samantha.

Wait. Samantha? Samantha was dead!

But here she was before me, except… she was different. Her shiny red hair was dull and mussed, for one thing, something Samantha never would have allowed to happen. Her face seemed, if possible, paler. And then it hit me. She had no mark.

During my mother's time as High Priestess, she had brought dead students back to life. Or at least, partially brought them back to life. They became dirty, evil monsters. Killing innocent people for the blood they needed to survive, burning in the sun. Pretty much your average, stereotypical vampyres. Their marks had also changed color, becoming a rusty, and blood red.

But they still had marks.

I heard a noise from next to me, probably Sharin. It was just a soft intake of air, but it was filled with so much horror, so much fear. And my mother heard.

Whirling on us, her green eyes blazing, she screamed, a long, wordless wail.

I yanked my hands out of Sharin's, effectively ending the disturbing vision, but not before I registered that the eyes of every single vampyre were dark and colorless, like lurking shadows. Like liquid midnight.

"What the hell was that?" I shrieked, falling back onto the carpet.

Sharin was also on the carpet, looking very shaken. Her already pale skin was ashen, her silver marks standing out in sharp relief. She was trembling and her blue eyes were glazed, as though she was still back in the meadow with Neferet and the messed up fledglings.

"I—I don't know." Said Sharin slowly, gazing at me as though she had only just noticed my presence.

When Sharin's mother had become High Priestess, she had put an end to my mother, and all of her evil. She had stamped out the bad. She had made things better. Or so I'd thought.

Zoey Redbird Night had apparently made things better, but it seemed as though it wasn't meant to last.

"W—what do we do?" I asked Sharin, who seemed to be recovering a bit.

"We tell my mother." She said firmly, but her brave demeanor was ruined by her shaking hands.

I nodded, and pulled Sharin to her feet by her elbows, careful to avoid her hands, not wanting a repeat.

We ran down the stone corridors toward Zoey's office, our footsteps echoing eerily off the stone walls, the soft light of the gas lamps creating threatening figures in every corner, around every turn.

We burst through the heavy wooden door of the office without knocking, or even slowing down.

"Girls!" Zoey exclaimed, startled. "What is it?"

"N—Neferet!" I cried.

"What about her?" Zoey asked, her dark eyes widening in alarm.

And we told her the whole story, from me knocking on the door, to the frightening vision in the meadow.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer- I don't own the House of Night

**AN- Do any of you read these?**

Zoey's POV

I was confused, stressed, and upset. So I called Aphrodite. She had a way of making you feel like your problems were insignificant. Not exactly encouraging, but enough for now.

I dialed the number, and a deep voice answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Darius?" I asked. "Long time no see. Well, hear, actually."

He chuckled on the other side of the line. "Yes, it has been a while. How are you?"

The temporary thrill of an old friend died down as he reminded me of my problems. "Not too great." I answered dully. "Is Aphrodite there?"

The worshipping tone that always filled Darius's voice when he talked of his love came now, as he said, "No Priestess, Aphrodite is out right now."

"Oh," I said. "Well, then I'll dump on you, if you don't mind."

Darius chuckled again, and I took it as a yes.

"Well, my daughter has the same mark as Jezebel Blake, Neferet's daughter. A fledgling just died, and I am so confused that I actually feel like swearing. And that's a big deal for me."

There was silence on the other side of the line, and then, "Oh, well. If it makes _you_ want to swear, it must be pretty bad. Perhaps Aphrodite and I should--"

"No, it's okay. I don't want to trouble you guys." Lie. I wanted them to come really badly, and it would probably help…

"Are you certain, Priestess?"

"Darius?" I said suddenly, randomly nit-picking, "can you not call me Priestess? It's weird, you know? You're my friend, not my servant!"

"Well," said Darius, about to begin his eternal-allegiance-to-the-goddess-bit.

"I'm not asking you to disrespect Nyx. I'm just asking you to call me Zoey."

"Alright, _Zoey,_ Aphrodite and I will be there tomorrow."

"Darius" I began, and then stopped. I sounded like a whiny little kid. "Okay," I sighed, "please come. I really do miss you guys."

"Alright, goodbye, Pr—Zoey."

I giggled, "goodbye D—Darius," I replied, mocking him. I heard his throaty chuckle again before the line went dead.

I gingerly placed the phone back in the receiver, and shook my head, smiling a little. Darius, a Son of Erebus, always seemed to know what to do.

"Mom!" cried an out of breath voice from down the hall, and my head snapped up. "Mom!" Sharin called again, getting closer. "Mom! Neferet is back!" she screamed as she, with Jezebel hot on her heels, burst through the door.

**Sharin's POV**

"What?" asked my Mom, her brown eyes blazing. "Neferet?"

I nodded, too out of breath to speak. Luckily, Jez did for me.

"We, well, I know this will sound weird but…we sort of had a vision."

"A vision?" asked Zoey increduosly. "What happened? _How_?"

"We don't know?" I panted. "We just kind of grabbed hands, and we saw it, clear as day."

"What happened in this…vision?"

"Oh, Goddess, Mom, it was horrible." I sobbed, collapsing into one of the heavy leather chairs in front of my mother's desk.

"The sky was red, and all of the vampyres, everyone in the school, they were all there. Their eyes were black! Like coal! It was horrible. And then Sharin got scared, and gasped, and Neferet turned. She saw us!" Jez stood there, stammering, until she too collapsed into a chair.

"And, no one—no one had…marks." I said weakly from the chair.

My mother gasped.

So we sat there, and the story poured out, everything from the moment Jez knocked on the door to the instant we'd arrived before her.

"Oh, Goddess." Was all my mother had to say.

Then I heard a voice, one that I'd only heard precious few times before, but would recognize anywhere. Nyx. _Daughter, things are about to become very difficult _came the voice in my head.

"But what is she up to?" I heard my mother mutter under her breath, no doubt responding to her own message from the Goddess.

My mothers eyes widened, as Nyx replied.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer- Same old, same old.**

**A/N- Yo! Review! XD Sorry about the short chapters. I'm going to try to make them longer from now on. Do any of you people even read these things?**

Zoey's POV

_Neferet has an ally. You must be strong, my daughter. There is much in store for you,_ Sounded Nyx's beautiful, resonating voice in my head.

"What is it Goddess? What's happening?" I gripped the armrests of the chair so tightly I was sure my knuckles were white.

_Neferet is going stronger. An ancient evil is rising. You will be tested my daughter. I have great faith in you._ And with that she was gone

I slowly came back to reality and the worried faces of Sharin and Jezebel came into focus.

"M-mom?" Sharin asked, her blue eyes, so like her fathers, boring into mine, wide with fright.

"I'm alright," I croaked.

"What did Nyx say to you?" asked Jez.

I looked at my daughter, who was stifling a yawn, and at Jez, whose green eyes were red and shadowed with bags, and made a decision. I had to take on such responsibility too young. It was so easy to forget that Sharin was only fifteen. She was so mature, so kind, caring, and empathetic. An old soul. I wouldn't do that to Sharin, or to Jez. I wouldn't age them that way.

"Nyx said that you two need to get to bed." I attempted to lighten the mood. Neither girl laughed. "Really. Today has been exhausting, and you two need to get some sleep." They began to protest, but I shook my head, cutting them off. "Bed. Now."

They left, and I collapsed back onto the desk. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

I lifted the phone, and dialed Erik's cell.

"Hey, babe." He answered, his voice like dark chocolate.

"Erik." I sighed, just the sound of his voice calming me. "I'm so stressed."

"What happened?" Erik asked, his rich voice full of concern.

"Oh, so much," I answered, and told him of all that had happened, from Sharin and Jez to Neferet.

"I'm coming Z, and don't try to stop me. I love you." The line disconnected.

Groaning, I replaced the phone and stood up from my desk. Nala jumped from her spot on top of the filing cabinet and landed in my arms.

"Hey kitty." I cooed, and she gave one of her old lady mews.

As I walked down the halls, I thought I saw a flash of red in the corner, but it disappeared quickly, and I shook my head. "You must be going insane." I muttered to myself.

I pushed open the heavy oak door and stepped outside. I knew I shouldn't be outside now, with dawn pinkening the horizon, but I couldn't resist the calming sensation of nature.

The chill pre-dawn air crackled in my lungs, and I smiled in spite of myself.

Without thinking, I walked, immersed in thought. What was Neferet up to now? Nyx had said "an ancient force", but what did that mean? So many questions, and each answer only roused more.

The old tree by the wall seemed to draw me, and soon I found myself climbing up into its gnarled branches, free of leaves in the autumn chill.

I found a familiar crook, sheltered from the biting wind, and settled back, closing my eyes.

I was on the verge of sleep when I heard a sharp crack. I bolted awake, my back board-staight, nearly falling out of the tree, and snapped my neck around, searching for the source of the sound.

"Zoey?" came a voice that sounded oddly familiar.

There was the sound of scrabbling footsteps, and a face came into view that made my heart lurch.

"_Stark?_"


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N- Hi. Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but I was away for three weeks, and it was starting to dominate my life. I'm updating again. They'll be less frequent but, hopefully, better quality. BTW, my awesome friend PamBrasiliera wrote, like, 50% of this chappie, so praise her awesomness!**

**Disclaimer- As you might have guessed, I am still shamelessly ownership-less. WAH!**

_Neferet's POV_

I knelt over the body, pulling my thin shawl closer around my shoulders against the biting chill.

An owl hooted, and I jumped, swearing quietly. I pulled the knife from my bag, and gazed at it, mesmerized by its sinister gleam in the unearthly pale glow of the crescent moon.

The blade of the knife smiled at me as I lowered it over my own wrist, a cruel, uncaring smirk of irony. A bubble of hysterical laughter tore up my throat, and my hand trembled, the blade of the knife dipping close to my arm, bobbing up and down, as though undecided. I took a deep breath, the cold autumn air bitter, and lowered the blade once again onto my pale arm, which almost glowed in the eerie light of the moon.

The blade pierced skin, and I gasped. The pain was unforgiving, and yet, bearable. So much easier than the pain of real life, so simple in comparison. The blade did not judge. So much easier. I watched, transfixed, as a rivulet of scarlet blood beaded from the wound, trailing down my arm.

The owl hooted again, and I swore, tearing my eyes from the gleaming blade. I tightened my grip on the jewel-encrusted handle of the dagger, and bore it down on the exposed wrist of the body, not hesitating this time as I sliced skin. I did not stare transfixed this time at single droplet of blood that beaded at the wound. It was dead blood.

I felt the familiar anger thrash within me, and I scowled as I tugged the body's wrist to mine, shivering as my blood entered its body, and it's entered mine.

I dropped the limp wrist in disgust, and wiped my mouth, gagging slightly on the foul, bitter taste of the blood of the dead.

The gash on my arm was already beginning to heal, fading to a puckered pink line marring the otherwise smooth expanse of skin. I sighed and winced slightly as I sliced along the line once again with the knife.

Leaning forward, I tilted back the head of the body, parting the lips and raising my bleeding wrist to the mouth.

A single drop of the deepest red beaded on the cut, and I gazed, enthralled as it slid smoothly down the white skin of my forearm, and lingered, for a moment, before dropping into the open mouth..

I shivered again, and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

_Samantha's POV_

The first thing I noticed was the smell. Overwhelming, like warm, melting—_**BLOOD!**_ A voice in my head rasped, and my eyes flew open.

_**BLOOD! WHERE? WHERE IS IT?**_

I shook my head, and for a moment, I could think clearly again, before—_**BLOOD!**_

I looked around me, senses hyper-aware, scanning the area for the source of the delicious smell.

Zoey's POV

"Hey Zoey." He still had it, that same cocky smile, the same good looks. I still felt the connection, though it was severely weakened since I knew Eric was the one for me.

"Stark, what are you doing here?" I asked, shocked. He wasn't supposed to be here, he was supposed to be far away, protecting me from the whacked out nut-jobs in foreign countries who would like to kill me!

"I heard that something was going down here, I came to help. Be your protector and stuff, like I swore I would be all those years ago."

"Not that I'm not happy to see you Stark, I am, but are you supposed to be keeping me protected...elsewhere." Don't get me wrong, I was glad he was here, but still.

"What's wrong, Zoey? You should be happy I'm he—" but he was interrupted as two figures came tumbling out of the nearby bushes.

"Ha, ha, hi mom." Sharin said sheepishly, uncomfortable at getting caught

"Sharin-Rae Redbird Night! Why are you two not in your dorms like I told you?" I demanded.

Stark, however, smiled brilliantly, sticking his hand out, "Stark. I take it you're Zoey's devil spawn?"

Sharin blushed and stuttered, "H—Hi."

My eyes moved to glare at Stark, who, obliviously, just kept on smiling. I'd only seen him at one other person like that. Me, right before he…

Oh hell no.

I gripped the shoulders of Sharin and Jez tightly. "I'll escort you to your room, ladies."

"Aw, but Mo—" Sharin began.

"No buts." I said, rather sharply, as I dragged them away from Stark. I looked over my shoulder and gave Stark a look, my eyes narrowed.

"Wind, come to me," I whispered, so Jezebel and Sharin couldn't hear. I glared at Stark, as he received my message.

_Stay away from my daughter._


	27. Chapter 27

A/N- Okay, I feel like I totally abandoned half of the characters who I originally introduced, so here they are, back again to haunt you! Also, I am very, very proud of myself! Check out how long this chapter is! YAY!!!!

**Disclaimer- I don't own the HON or anything related. **

Sharin's POV

"What was that?" My Mom demanded, venom in her voice as she shoved me through the door of me and Layne's room.

"What do you mean?" I asked indignantly.

"Oh, don't think I didn't notice, little missy. I saw you flirting with him!"

"Mom!" I cried, feeling a blush stain my cheeks, "he's, like, thirty years old!"

"He's hot!" she said accusingly.

I was shocked. It was pretty obvious. Mom had…. liked this man. Probably kissed him. It was so weird to picture her with anyone but Dad that I blurted, "You like him!"

It was Mom's turn to blush. Ignoring my accusation, she pecked me on the cheek then practically flew out the door.

Okay…weird.

"What was that about?" asked Layne, and I realized she had been there the entire time.

"Oh…um…nothing."

"Yeah, sure. And I'm Brad Pitt. Seriously, Shari, what's up?"

I sighed and collapsed onto the bed next to her, exhausted. "Your bed?" I tried pathetically.

She glanced at her top bunk and smiled. "Nice one, but not an answer. Come on, Shari, tell me!"

I felt anger grow inside of me. "Just leave me alone, okay? I'm stressed out enough as it is!" I snapped.

Layne's lip quivered, and she looked wounded. "I'm sorry." She muttered.

I knew I was being cruel and unfair, but I was so upset, so tired. I couldn't stop. "Sorry isn't always enough, Layne!"

Her grey-blue eyes narrowed. "Okay, listen Sharin-Rae, I'm not going to let you take your anger out on me. You can talk to me again later, preferable when you're in a better mood." She turned away from me and walked in to the bathroom. "Oh, and I fed your cat!"

As if on cue, Calvin jumped on the bed, but kept his distance from me. Great, did everyone have a problem with me today?

I stood, and stomped to the door, yanking it open.

The common room was open, and as I stood in the entranceway, I could still picture Samantha flying across the room, crashing into the far wall. I wondered yet again how I'd done that. If it had been my fault that she'd died.

I heard someone clear their throat next to me, and I turned to see…my father.

"Daddy!" I cried, "What are you doing here?"

A shadow passed over his features, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Your mother called, and I couldn't resist coming to see my favorite daughter!"

"Your only daughter," I corrected him, smiling as he embraced me. "I love you, Dad, and I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too, sweetheart. And I heard about your little gift from Nyx."

I sighed. Not that again. "Daddy, I'm so confused. I don't know what to do." I felt a tear slide down my cheek, leaving a drop on his navy blue t-shirt.

"Shhhhhhhhh," he murmured, rubbing slow circles on my back as I pressed my face to his chest, tears leaking from my eyes, my body shuddering.

"Daddy, I don't want this! I don't want to be different! Please Daddy, just make it go away!"

"Sharin, sweetie, I can't do that. And deep down, I don't think you want that. You're special, and your Mom and I, we always knew you would be. Little Rae," he said, his silly nickname for me, "You're special. You will do great things."

I nod into his chest, and feel a heavy weight lift off my chest. I exhale slowly and pull away from him and look up into his deep blue eyes, like the ocean on a summer day, like a mirror to my own.

"Thank you Daddy."

"You're welcome Little Rae, now go get some sleep."

I nod.

I take my time walking back to my room, considering what he said. It really did make me feel better.

The lights are off, and I can see Layne's sleeping form, her chest slowly rising and falling. I feel so bad for what I said. I could be so mean sometimes. I stare at her for a little while longer, and hope she's dreaming about nice, soothing peaceful things. She stirs in her sleep and snaps me out of my trance.

I stumble into the bathroom, and flick on the light, careful to close the door so that the light doesn't wake Layne.

I sit down on the lip of my bathroom. Randomly, I think of my Gramma Redbird. Technically, she's my great-grandmother, but I've never thought of her that way. She isn't old, or frail. She strong and sturdy, with long silver hair that she always keeps in a long braid that I liked to grasp when I was a small child.

I miss her, I realize, more than I thought. On an impulse, I reach for my cell-phone in my pocket, and dial her number.

"Hello?" Grammas' sweet, soothing voice washes over me, and I sigh contentedly.

"Hi, Gramma."

"Oh, hello, uwetsiagehutsa, my Little Rae." The Cherokee word for daughter filled me warmth, as per usual, and I remembered now that the nickname had been Gramma's idea.

"How are you?"

"I just woke up. The sun is coming up!"

That shocked me. Was it really that late. Early, actually.

"Woah," I said. "I guess all these people who've been telling me to go to sleep know what they're talking about!"

I could hear the smile in Gramma's voice as she replied. "Well, allow me to join their wise ranks. Goodnight, Little Rae."

"Morning, Gramma. I love you."

I put the phone on the nightstand and changed into my pajamas, feeling the exhaustion of the day finally settle on me. Yawning, I climbed into bed, and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

************************************************************************

Consciousness returned slowly, as my dream ended. I lay in a happy fog, remembering my dream about Stark. We hadn't done anything, just held hands, but the feeling was so safe, so happy and nice.

Calvin jumping onto my chest was like a splash of cold water, and I jolted up.

I saw Layne moving in front of her dresser, her back to me. I bet she didn't even know I was awake.

Carefully, I peeled the comforter off of me and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

"Morning, Layne," I said quietly.

"Sharin." Layne acknowledged without turning.

I rose off the bed and walked over to her. "Layne, I'm so, so sorry. I was an awful, measty jerk."

I saw a grin play over Layne's lips. "Measty?"

I smiled, feeling like the sun was shining on us, even though it was the middle of the night. "Mean and nasty."

Layne turned to face me. "I accept your apology, Shari, and thank Goddess too. It's hard to stay mad at you, even," she said, punching me lightly on the arm, "when you really deserve it."

"I missed you," I said.

She embraced me, and smiled too. "Breakfast?"

My stomach rumbled as an answer, and we both giggled.

I went to my dresser and pulled on a dark blue tank top and grey sweatpants.

I grabbed a bowl of Count Chocula, ironically my favorite breakfast cereal, as well as my mothers. Layne took her cinnamon raison bagel, and we sat down at a corner table with Dawn, Olivia, and Kellan.

"Hey!" Dawn said, smiling. "We haven't seen you in ages!"

"Yeah," said her twin. "What's up?"

I smiled. "Nice to see you guys too."

"'Sup, Sharin?" said Kellan, his easy-going demeanor was contagious, and I soon found myself completely at ease.

"How are you Kellan? I mean…. Samantha?"

A shadow passed over Kellan's smile. " I didn't really love her, I know that now, but it's still scary that she's gone. It's scary when any of us dies."

There was a moment of akward silence, and then Jezebel walked over.

What?

"Um...hi?" she said, awkwardly.

"Hey, Jez," I said, trying not to notice the weirdness of this.

"What are you doing here?" Dawn said coldly. She wasn't exactly one for subtlety.

Jez took a deep breath. "I wanted to sit with you guys. I know I've been mean to you guys. I'm sorry, and I was wondering if we could be friends?" she said, except the last part sounded more like Iwaswonderingifwecouldbefriends.

Kellan looked shocked, Olivia looked worried, Dawn looked confused, and Layne looked…. Happy?

"Sure." Layne said kindly. "Pull up a chair."

I glanced questioningly at her, and she just shrugged.

In five minutes, we'd all completely loosened up.

"We never knew—" Dawn began.

"—That you were so nice!" Olivia completed.

The looked at each other in horror.

"Ha!" Kellan crowed, "Score one for twin telepathy!"

We all laughed, even Jez.

"Hey!" Jez cried suddenly, "it's Saturday!"

"Yesssss…." Olivia said slowly, drawing the word out.

"It's just that, we can go out, you know?"

I was the first on to catch on. "Let's go to out!"

"Yeah!" cried Dawn and Olivia together, and were once again silent in horror.

"Oh, get over it!" I laughed.

They did too, and soon we were all collapsing into a fit of giggles. I glanced at Jez and saw she looked completely at home, and happier than I'd ever seen her.

So half an hour later, we stumbled out onto the street, giggling together, bundled in coats and scarves against the early winter chill, our marks concealed with the school-provided concealer.

"Where to first?" Layne asked in a hilarious butler voice, and we all laughed again.

"Starbucks!" Kellan crowed.

We nodded our agreement, and were soon together at the counter, blurting our orders to the bewildered looking girl behind the counter.

Sitting together at one of the outside tables, we talked and laughed, joking about everything from Dawn's cats' recent hairball problem, to Prof. Sylvia's perm, which looked, in the words of Jez, "like someone glued a used Brillo pad to her head!"

"Oh jeez!" Layne cried, suddenly.

"What is it?" Kellan asked.

"My ex! He broke up with me right before I was marked," she squealed, pointing across the courtyard at a nerdy-hot looking guy standing in a group with his arm around a girl, who appeared to be plying for his attention, smiling in a way she probably thought was sexy, and flinging her bottle-blonde hair around, clinging to him like a life-preserver.

"Oh my Goddess, that's Michelle Duce he's with!"

"I hate her!" Dawn cried. At our questioning looks, she smiled sheepishly. "We went to elementary school together!"

"I can't believe he's with her!" Layne pouted.

Jez stood up, a devious grin playing over her lips. She pulled Layne up too, and whispered something in her ear. A slow smile spread over her pouting lips. "Kellan," she said, and I wondered how she was managing to speak around the humongous smile on her face. "I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend."

He agreed just a little to quickly, and I Dawn, Olivia and Jez saw that too. I filed it away for later.

Layne took Kellan by the hand and led him over to her ex, and we followed.

"Sam!" Layne cried, feigning surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Layne," Sam said awkwardly, glancing at the skinny blonde on his arm like she was an unpleasant but difficult to get rid of bug buzzing around his head.

"Oooh, this is so exciting!" Layne squealed. "Meet Kellan. He's my boyfriend." And with that, she turned and planted one on Kellan. When she broke away, he looked dazed. "Tell me, Sammy, are you still having that little bed-wetting problem?" she stage-whispered.

"W—what? I never…I mean I don't—"

"It's okay, I'm sure Michelle here doesn't mind."

And with that, she turned and left, towing a still-dazed looking Kellan along, and leaving a very disgruntled looking Sammy, and a Michelle who appeared to be seriously considering making a break for it.

"That was the best!" I cried, barely able to speak for laughing.

"So great!" Dawn and Olivia said together, and this time they didn't even cringe, just glanced at each other and kept on smiling.

Jez just stood there looking proud, and Kellan had a dopey smile on his face, which Layne did not pass over.

"So, Kellan," she said casually, "am I a good kisser?"

There was a pause, and then Kellan said, "I think I'm going to need another kiss, just to be sure." And they kissed. And kissed. And kissed until….

"Excuse me," said a nerdy boy with bad acne and a green Starbucks apron. "There are no public displays of affection allowed here at Starbucks. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Kellan broke away, breathless. "Alrighty then," he said casually, and we all got up and left, still laughing, as I mimicked the shocked looks on Sam and Michelle's faces as Layne locked lips with Kellan.

"So," I said casually, "I take it you two are…" I trailed off, leaving them to fill in the blank.

In answer, Kellan leaned down and kissed Layne on the cheek. "Yup."

************************************************************************************************************************************************

Later that evening, back at the House of Night, I walked into my Mom's office, and found her juggling a wailing Jack, the phone, and a file of paperwork that looked thick enough to top the scales with a phone book.

I smiled at her and took Jack, who cooed happily.

Extreme déjà vu.

"Hello, little man." I baby-talked, grinning happily down at Jack's chubby baby face, the red apples of his cheeks and the sparkling brown of his eyes, like my mothers.

"Sha-win!" he squealed, and I almost dropped him.

"Mom!" I cried, not caring that she was on the phone, "Jack said my name! He said Sharin!"

"Oh my Goddess!" she said, hastily apologizing to whoever had been on the end of the phone, and then saying goodbye and hanging up.

"Oh, Jakey!" she baby-talked, taking him in her arms.

Our little celebration was interrupted when the heavy oaken door creaked open and in came… Aunt Aphrodite! Followed by Uncle Darius, Aunt Erin, Aunt Shaunee, Uncle Damien, and Uncle Jack.

I felt like my face would crack in half for smiling. I hadn't seen them since the day of my disastrous change.

"Sharin!" Erin and Shaunee squealed together.

I flew into their arms.

"What are all you guys doing here?" my Mom asked.

"Aphrodite told us you were in trouble, and that she wanted her to come down." Damien replied.

"She called us," Jack said, "and we came down!"

"Why?" said Shaunee, pretending to be hurt.

"Do you not want us here?"

My mother's face broke into a huge smile. "Of course I do!"

This was turning out to be the best day I'd had in a long time.

We all embraced, and I felt happy, safe, and glad to be surrounded by people who loved me.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N- Wow, I've totally been neglecting my duties as an author! My deepest and most sincere apologies sweeping bow.

**Disclaimer- I own nothing but what you know I know you know I know you know I know you know I own…right?**

Sharin's POV

I giggled, inhaling the salty ocean air and looking up at the sky, a beautiful sunset, a study of colours, from fiery reds and oranges to the most delicate pinks.

Snuggling closer to Stark, I grinned. "This is so nice."

He nodded, and began to lean down towards me, his eyes closing, his lips coming closer, closer, and…

I was walking through the forest to the meadow…

What? Where was my kiss? Come on!

"Little Rae," said a soothing, musical voice that I'd heard before and would still never become accustomed to. "My daughter, I am glad you've come."

I sighed and gazed up at the waterfall above me, watching the sunlight glinting off the cool blue abyss.

"Something is wrong?" Nyx asked in a motherly voice, and I felt myself blush.

"Nothing," I mumbled.

Nyx smiled knowingly, and I had a feeling she knew exactly what my 'nothing' was.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere of the dream seemed to change. The surroundings were the same, but it was as though a cloud had passed over the sun. Nyx looked me directly in the eye, any happy glint gone from the depths. I felt so cold, like I was plunging into icy water.

"Be ready," Nyx said in a voice not her own, and vanished.

"Sharin! Sharin!" screamed a voice. "Sharin, you've got to wake up!" My eyes fluttered open, "Oh Sharin, thank Goddess!"

"What, Jez? What's the matter?" I asked frantically, wiping sleep out of my eyes as I struggled to sit.

With eyes full of fear, Jez said nothing.

"Come on, Jezebel, you have got to tell me what is going on!"

She still didn't respond, and her mouth slowly rounded into an 'O'. A silent scream of horror.

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she began to shake.

"Jez!" I screamed. "Jezebel!"

She crumpled to the floor.

I screamed. In a detatched, distant way, I realized that I might wake Layne.

But her bed was empty.

I whipped my head from side to side, as though on the fourth, fifth, sixth revolution I would see Layne safe and asleep in her bed, and this would all just be some awful, awful dream.

Then I heard the screaming.

Screaming, and choking, pleading sobs.

They echoed through the great stone halls, sounds that should never be heard by human ears, never made by human mouths.

And intertwined with it all…laughed. Manic, almost hysterical laughter, ringing through the halls.

It seemed to be getting louder and louder, coming from all directions. I felt the world begin to slip away. "They're here."

"Jez!" I cried, opening my eyes and seeing Jez's blurred figure leaning over me. "Oh thank Goddess, Jez!"

Then the image began to clear. A woman, clearly older than Jezebel, but bearing a striking resemblance to her leaned over me.

I bit back a scream, something in my gut telling me to try to appear calm. I registered the woman's fiery mane of red hair, and deep green eyes like identical pools of moss.

She had a malevolent glint in her eye, but hid it well, filling her lilting voice with concern. "Sharin, we are very glad you've awoken."

I pushed up on my elbows, and looked around the space. I couldn't see much, only that I was laying on a gleaming metal table, with crude flickering florescent lights above me, painful to my vampyre eyes. "Where am I, and who is "we"?"

The woman smiled, but there was no humor in it, no joy.

"I tire of this," she said flippantly, examining her nails. "Put her with the others."

"Others?" My voice wavered, betraying my calm façade.

The woman didn't answer, but turned and walked away. Two creatures stepped forward and grasped my arms, and I bit back another scream.

They were insubstantial, like the farthest stars, all but invisible when I looked directly at them. Like moving shadows, they grasped my arms, and numbness began to overcome me, like Novocain.

I felt nothing as they brought me down the hall, nothing as they escorted me back to the dorms, nothing as they threw me onto the bed. Then they released their grip on my hands, and panic and terror shot through me, overcoming me. My back tingled, and I shuddered.

"Come back!" I shrieked. "You have to help me!"

Nothing.

I through my face into the pillow, and sobbed.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N- OMG, I haven't updated in forever. Sorry I'm becoming such a neglectful author. Anyway, POINT OF NEWS!!!! I'm changing my username. I'm leaning towards MO'sBaconBar (for personal reasons) but if any of you have an idea, submit! If I use it, I'll make sure to credit you!! : )

**Disclaimer- I do not own the House of Night**

Neferet's POV

I raised my arms over my head and gazed at the sky. There was no moon tonight, but the whole world seemed oddly bright and piercing, like stepping from a dark room into blinding sun.

There was chaos all around, people running left and right as the sky hung bloodred above them. I was cloaked in the night, invisible to the mobs. I watched, chuckling quietly.

"_Neferet_," I heard someone say. I whipped my head around, my hands rising in defense. No one.

I shook my head to clear it, rolling my shoulders, and stepped out into the world.

* * *

Sharin POV

The House of Night was in a state of complete and utter panic. There were screams ringing through the halls, and a resonating sound that beat low, beneath everything else, like the sound of a drum.

"Mom?" I screamed, my voice swallowed by the mass of panic.

I wrapped my arms around myself and shut my eyes tight, picturing my soft bed and mild dreams, Layne snoring softly above me. I pictured a better world when I opened my eyes, and was reminded of a game I would play with myself as I child. If I shut my eyes, and hoped hard enough, anything was possible. Too bad that didn't apply outside the world of fairy tales; of paper hats and eyepatches, wooden swords and gossamer sprinkles of glitter in little girl's hair.

"Mom!" I cried again, my voice hoarse. "Mommy!"

I felt a blow from behind, and gasped, my eyes flying open. I whirled, but there was no one there.

Or was there?

Upon closer inspection, there was something moving, only a slight distortion of view, like a bent spoon in water.

"I know you're there," I gulped, sounding braver than I was.

I heard what sounded like a deep, breathy chuckle, and shivered. The sound was like leaves rustling on a cold night, or rain falling on the roof of an empty house. Like darkness engulfing the world at night, with no one around to watch it go. Loneliness distilled.

_Mom _I mouthed, but no sound came out. I felt a deep, soul-searing cold as the creature, whatever it was, began to materialize before me.

It was like everything I remembered about nothing I wanted to remember.

All the terrifying things I'd ever seen, every deep, cold fear that'd ever filled my heart was awakened now, in this moment. I felt my muscles lock into place, my eyes wide.

It smiled, and I felt like screaming.

I was so cold now, and I couldn't see around me anymore, just the thing, as though the world around had ceased to exist.

It was so slow at first, I could hardly feel it, like a snake slithering through the weeds; the darkness creeping into my heart. I felt myself grow colder, but at the same time, I felt the cold become less biting, more of numbness then anything.

My vision was closing in now, a dark tunnel with only the blurriest view of something at the end.

I felt the moment when I stopped struggling, but it was buried under so many layers of coldness, and numbness, that at the same time, I didn't feel it at all.

Then, like a splash of cold water, there was an arm on my shoulder, yanking me away as my knees buckled.

Stark's POV

"Crap!" I muttered, shielding my eyes. The creature hissed, angry at my interruption.

"Yeah well, get over it," I said, wrapping my arms around Sharin. Goddess, she felt cold, I pulled her tighter, trying to transfer some of my heat into her.

Her eyes were wide and glazed, like windows frosted after a night of snow. Her skin was pale and hard, like marble.

Her lips were the ice blue of hypothermia, and she seemed almost too cold to shiver.

Almost without thinking about it, I bent down, and pressed my lips to hers.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N- We're coming to a close soon enough, but not quite yet. Pam, if you're reading this, we have some stuff to talk about! Oh, I began this before Hunted (and Tempted) were published. So, just an update in case anyone gets mad at me, in this story, neither of those books ever happened, or any that may come after them.**

**Disclaimer- Yo. Me no own HON. **

Jezebel POV

I always knew my mother would do something like this.

No, really.

She was just that unstable, a total whacko. I always knew she'd blow her top, I just didn't know she'd do it so thoroughly.

"Jezebel, Jezebel, Jezebel," my mother sighed as she strolled back in forth in front of the nurse's bed where I sat, shaking her head. "What have you done?"

My chin quivered, and I bit my lip. I would not cry in front of her. "What do you mean?"

"Well if you'd just done what you were told, none of this," she gestured out the window, toward the chaos, "Would've been necessary."

Anger swelled in me, shoving aside my other emotions brutally. I felt my face redden. "Are you saying this is my fault?"

She smirked, and turned to me. "Unfortunately, yes. If you could've just obeyed your commands and taken down that Sharin girl, maybe slipped something into her drink or _something_, then she could've quietly disappeared without a hitch, and you could've taken her place as Priestess. But no, of course not. You were always so stubborn, Jezebel." She shakes her head.

As if she knows anything about me. As if she was there for me during my childhood at all.

Images swam before my eyes. Myself, tiny and crying in an empty, dark room. My mother, laughing hysterically while I cowered in the corner of the kitchen, clutching a ragged stuffed bear. And the faintest memory of all: the man. Not my father, was all I knew. He'd been coldly handsome, and endlessly cruel. He hit my mother and he hit me. But then he would wrap us in his ebony soft wings, and make it all the pain go away with an embrace, and whispered words that he'd never, ever hurt us.

He told enticing, terrible tales of destruction and betrayal.

"You're right." My voice shook. "I was. I am." In a swift motion, I stood from the bed and flew at my mother, fists swinging, hands clawing.

"I hate you!" I screamed, tears threatening to spill. "I hate you, and I hate everything you've done to me!"

I knocked her to the ground and tore at her hair and face, ripping her dress. I grabbed for anything I could use, and took hold of the lamp, swinging blindly at her, my rage red and encompassing all.

And then, through it all, there was a voice.

_My daughter. This is not the way._

I froze. "N-Nyx?" I whispered, my voice pitiful and scared.

_You are not like her, Jezebel. Do not become your mother. Do not do as she would._

My anger ebbed. I looked at the lamp in my hands, the shade crushed and bloodied. I set it carefully down, as if trying not to make a sound to make up for the brutality I'd just displayed . I look at my hands, rotating them in front of my face, unbelieving.

Then, I look at Neferet, weak and bent on the floor. Her hair is splayed in a fiery spray around her pale face. There is blood smudged on her cheeks, and a slick coat on her lips. A thin rivulet trickling down from her ear.

It is so quiet. Too quiet, after the deafening cacophony of my rage that roared in my ears.

Her eyes are wide and glazed, her chest moving rapidly, breath coming in short, high gasps.

I rise to my feet, suddenly disgusted with myself.

"Mom?" I croak, my voice that of a child.

Her head turns to me, her eyes focusing.

"_Jezebel_," she mouths, her lips slick with blood, and she falls silent.

I stare in horror at her still body.

I feel the tears, the ones I promised never to let fall in her presence, slip.

I turned, and fled.

She is not dead.

Cannot be.

I am many things, but I am not a murderer.

Him POV

She is injured.

Like dark cloaks night, she is to slip away.

Through halls, floating bodiless through chaos, unimaginable.

Her flame of hair, her emerald eyes, to dim

No. Not today.

She is needed.

Transfer of life a difficult task, made harder by closeness to death.

To press shadowed hands to a heaving chest

And bring to life what was lost

Is difficult

But she is needed

Nonetheless

Sharin POV

I tried to open my eyes, but they would not cooperate. Same with my tongue. I could scarcely twitch my fingertips, but it must have been enough.

"Sharin? Honey, are you awake?"

I had a sense of déjà vu. This was like the time of my disastrous marking. Except so, so much worse.

My eyelids fluttered, and I felt like I was trying to see underwater. Everything was blurry and too bright. My eyes closed again of their own accord.

"Crap." I muttered

"Language," my mother said automatically, never having been one for swearing. Then she laughed abruptly at her comment, so out of place in this chaos. The laughs built to racking sobs, and I finally forced my eyes open as my mother came into focus, curled and crying.

"It's…okay. Mom." I enunciated, my speech slow and tortured.

She looked up at me for a brief second. "Oh Sharin," she murmured, and buried her face once again in her hands.

It was then that I noticed Stark. He was in the corner, leaning against the rough stone of the wall, his face bathed in the flickering candlelight, studying me intently.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fu…nny." I replied. I opened my mouth to say more, then closed it, deciding it wasn't worth the effort. It took a full three seconds before my lips met. I tried to stand, but my movements were jerky and stiff, and my knees gave out as soon as I was on my feet. "Ow." I said without inflection, landing hard on my butt.

Stark didn't even chuckle. He seemed concerned, but it was hard to tell. He hadn't moved from his spot on the wall, and his piercing eyes were shrouded in shadow.

Suddenly there was a pounding on the heavy door. Stark looked at my mother, who raised her tear-stained face and pursed her lips.

"Who is it?" she called, her voice shaky.

"Jez!" her voice was frantic.

I tried getting up, but it was ineffective. "Door." I said to Stark. He nodded and pulled open the door. Jezebel stumbled in, her eyes wide, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh Goddess, Oh Nyx" she was muttering, again and again.

"Is…okay. Jez." I said, aware to late that the halting quality of my voice was probably only making it worse.

She looked up at me, her eyes unreadable. "What is wrong with her?" she asked Stark, eyes still on me.

"We…don't know. We think it may be an after-effect of the Demon she encountered, but we really don't know what to do about it."

Jezebel looked at me for a moment more, then shook her head and looked down at the flagstone floor, her eyes watering. "I…I think I killed her."

My mother wiped her eye and stood shakily. "Killed who?"

"My mother."

"Good…riddance." I said, trying to cut the silence. It didn't work. Jezebel looked up at me with red, bloodshot eyes and said nothing. My mother buried her face in her hands again, and Stark continued to ignore me.

That hurt. I barely knew the guy, and he was definitely older than me, but it still caused a dull throb in my chest as he turned away.

Stark POV

I was wrong to kiss her. So wrong. But still…

No. No!

Be a man Stark.

Yes. A man. That's just the problem. If I was younger, or she was older…no. Don't even think about it.

She was just so cold, the thought persists. It was what brought her back.

Ha, don't flatter yourself.

There she is, curled in the corner. Worry stabs through my chest, and I resist the urge to stand; to follow my feet to her.

We don't know what's wrong with her. We don't know if it can be fixed. I hope so, and I tell her so.

She blinks up at me, her eyes distant and unreadable. They shine with unspent tears.

"Don't cry." I say, covering her hand with my own.

"Not…crying." She says. Her voice is flat and inflectionless, her expression unreadable.

Is this an effect of the Demon? Did it freeze something within her that we could never thaw? Some section of her brain? A part that controls speech, or movement, or both?

Her heart?

Zoey stirs. "Stark?" she whispers.

"I'm here," I reply, kneeling beside her. Sharin looks so much like her, with almond slant to the eyes, the full lips.

"Is she alright? Getting better?"

She knows the meaning in my silence, and rakes a hand through her hair. "Oh Goddess, I'm a mess." Her hair is limp and disheveled, her eyes bloodshot from the crying. The dress she wears is stained and torn, and her skin is paler than usual, her winding marks standing out in sharp relief. "I don't know what to do. I never guessed this could happen. I've asked the Goddess for help, but she hasn't answered, and I just feel so…lost." She seemed to cave into herself, deflating in my arms as tears streak down her cheeks.

"Zoey, if I know anyone who can get through this, it's you." The sobbing becomes less violent. "I mean, I know it's hard, but you can make it through this. You always do, my Priestess."

She raises her head, and her eyes seem afire. Her mouth is hard set.

"Neferet is going to regret this."


	31. Chapter 31

A/N- OMG. I'm a terrible person. No, really. I haven't updated in so long you guys probably all think I've died.

**Disclaimer: Even though I've been gone for ages, I still haven't acquired the ownership rights of any part of HON. My plots have all failed.**

Layne's POV

All I knew was that it was cold here. That, and how many of us there were. Fifty-seven. Fifty-seven fledglings strapped down to cold beds in a dark, cavernous room. I knew this because every few minutes, another one of those creatures would whisk down the columns, counting heads. It almost made me laugh at one point, feeling like some sort of sick school role count.

Of course, I didn't laugh here. You couldn't. This place was too laden with fear, like fear was some kind of liquid substance, and we were all dripping with it. All my eyes saw was black. I felt as though there were a stone at the base of my throat, and I'd been crying for so long I didn't even notice it anymore.

I could sense the people around me. Some cried noisily, but most were silent. I was among those silent. I guess it was because the fear was so great, so all-encompassing, there were really no words or sounds to describe it. Perhaps they thought if they wailed, they'd only be contributing to the huge dark thing that seemed to hang over us like a thundercloud. Or maybe, like me, they were just afraid that if they made a single sound, they'd fly apart.

I wondered, how many people were there at the House of Night? Was fifty-seven all of us? Most of us? I hope to the Goddess not.

I wondered if Sharin was somewhere in here. If Olivia, or Dawn, or Kellan or Jezebel was. I couldn't even think of the day we'd had, just yesterday. When we'd all been laughing and talking. How could something so carefree and picturesque be followed by something so terrible?

Another one of those things whisked between the tables, and I held my breath, prepared for the icy wave of fresh fear that washed over me with it's passing. It was strange what I was able to endure. I hadn't thought I could ever put up with something like this, but it was almost like my mind had split in two. There was the part that was still there, experiencing things and screaming and writhing in agony. Then there was the part of me that my conscious mind had taken cover inside of. I got to watch from inside here.

Lucky me.

Neferet's POV

In the last seconds, I felt oddly peaceful. There was no longer anything looming over my head. Nothing I had to do, or be. I almost felt like a child again.

A memory overtook me. I was little. Very little. Before my mother had died, and the abuse had begun.

_"Mommy, mommy!" I squealed, "Again!"_

_ My mother, a tall, slender woman with hair the color of honey and eyes the same moss green as mine, lifted me, smiling. She spun in circles, her hair flying out behind her._

_ I laughed._

I missed laughing.

I missed laughter for the sake of happiness, and mirth, for the sake of love. What had I done with my life? What had I done to myself? I had Jezebel, my child, the only person in the world who I might've loved…if I could. But now…

I felt like I was choking on these memories, flooding my mind one after the other, all from before the time of horror. Things I didn't even know I remembered. I felt something gathering at the base of my throat. It didn't feel pointy like anger, or heavy like tears. It felt almost like bubbles and…

I laughed.

A wide smile spread out over my face, and the giggled poured out of me. I hiccupped and snickered and chuckled. A million smiles and laughs for all those that had been stolen from me. My face hurt in a good way. My sides ached.

The memories were coming faster now, blurring together, until they were a single image, flashing so fast all I could see was light.

Then, in front of that flickering light, there was a figure. It was shadowy and outlined in darkness. It reached a hand out toward me, and I felt one push onto my chest.

My breath caught in my throat. It was Nyx! It had to be! She had come for me! She hadn't deserted me, even after all my evil. Even after I'd turned my back on her. I felt tears flooding my eyes, for the first time in so, so long, tears of joy.

There was a warm sensation in my chest. A gentle, bubbling spring of heat that spread throughout my entire body. I felt the warmth, centered in my chest, move throughout me.

It was growing hotter. What had been a pleasant ember was a flame. It was all over me, engulfing me. I felt as though something in me was burning away.

Something important. I had to stop it. My chance…Nyx…the memories…

I screamed and jerked off the floor. My tears were of pain, my screams of agony.

I felt myself begin to deflate. The flames drained away, and in their place, total numbness. Ash. Not a feeling, but the absence of feeling. I didn't breath. I sat up.

He smiled at me.

I felt nothing.

Zoey's POV

The Goddess didn't seem to be willing to speak anymore.

After my tears, and conversation with Stark, I climbed to my feet. I was pacing, stopping every now and then to stroke one of the girls hair. Sharin and Jezebel were both asleep, and I had to say I was grateful for it. Let them sleep through this. I prayed that when they awoke, it would all seem nothing more than a dream…a nightmare.

"Nyx, answer my prayers…" I muttered. I didn't bother to finish. It wasn't working.

I knew what I needed. I felt it inside me, intuition. I needed the circle. To cast the circle, and to fight back against Neferet, and whatever other evil was lurking out there with her.

I had a feeling we might be dealing with something even stronger than the Queen Si-Tsigili. Honestly, I shuddered at the thought. I knew I had to be strong though, so that was what I tried to be.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, and stared at it. Finally, steeling myself, I flipped it open. I called Aphrodite. Then Shaunee, Erin, Damien, Stevie-Rae, and even Jack.

They were all coming. I sat on the stone floor and stared straight ahead. I hoped, hoped the Goddess, who no longer seemed to be listening to me, that they'd get here soon, and the sooner the better. I prayed it would be enough.

_Olivia's POV_

Dawn was next to me, but she wasn't. We where standing in the courtyard, along with dozens of other fledglings—too many to count.

I tried not to see Dawn's eyes. How they'd turned black. I didn't look at the eyes of those around me either, knowing inside of me that they'd only be the same.

I didn't look at the sky. At its shade of bloodred.

There was a rustling among the people in the crowd. They swayed on their planted feet, not making a sound. They were being jostled aside.

I stood on tip-toe, trying my best not to stick out. My eyes were black like the rest of them, but I didn't seem to be affected in the same way as the rest of them were. Every now and again, those monsters would move through our ranks, and I would avert my eyes. The first time I'd looked at one, the icy fear had shot through me like an icicle. I knew I'd have simply stood there, staring, simply freezing from the inside out, feeling as though something was being pulled from inside me, but Dawn had pulled me away.

Then the beast had turned it's hideous gaze on her.

Which led us to this point.

I didn't know why the phantom's gaze hadn't done to me what it had to her. Maybe because I'd been pulled away just in time.

I was finding it hard to move, and I still felt so cold.

I stood higher, and saw the top of a flaming red mop of hair. I felt my heart surge, which seemed to return at least some of the warmth to my body. It had to be Jezebel; no one else had hair like that. But what was she doing? My whole body began to shake.

Was she with these…beasts?

Then Jezebel stood higher—on a rock, presumably—and she was revealed to not be Jezebel at all.

The features were similar, the eyes and hair almost identical. But this woman, whoever she was, was clearly older than Jez. And something in her face, an emptiness, was almost scarier than that in Dawn.

At the thought of Dawn, a single tear rolled down my cheek. I didn't know what to do, or how to help her.

"My minions!" Voice rang out. It was strange. It almost sounded like it was inside my head. I couldn't tell if it was male or female, but I knew it hadn't come from the red-haired woman.

"Step forward," the zombie-like students around me did so, and I followed suit, not wanting to stick out. From where I was, I couldn't see what was going on up in the front. I could only hear the voice, and see the face of the woman floating above the crowd.

There was a sense of foreboding in me, and I inched closer to Dawn, until my arm was touching hers.

We'd never been like those story-book twins, with their secret languages and telepathic bonds.

However, at that moment, I was sure she could hear me as I thought to her:

_It will be alright. I promise. I love you._

Just as sure as I was that after that, I heard back from her:

_I love…you too._

Because so many of you have told me I should, I decided to write a letter to the publishers of HON to see what they say about putting "Affinity" in as a sort of extra. Here's my letter, tell me what you think:

To Whom it May Concern (which sounds ludicrously official),

I really enjoyed reading the House of Night series, and found myself so entranced by the story and characters that I wrote a story based on it on an fanfiction website. Ever since it was published there, people have been telling me that I should contact someone about getting it published somehow in conjunction with the House of Night Series. At first, I just ignored these, but the more often I received them, the more I thought about it.

My story is about a future after the stories. It is a story in which new characters come into play, the children of the original characters, and new conflict, following the theme of that in the HON series, occurs.

Because it was written, it was written after my reading Hunted, I made the final pairing Zoey and Erik, and he is the father of their child, my main character, Sharin-Rae (Shaunee, Erin, Stevie-Rae). However, this could be easily changed if P.C. and Kristen Cast don't intend for Zoey to end up with Erik.

I know this seems like a very odd question, but I was wondering if perhaps the HON authors might be interested in at least taking a look at my story, because I feel that it really is something that would be interesting to go along with the House of Night series.

Even if my hopes are flat out rejected, I would still greatly appreciate if you could write back to me to tell me this, otherwise I will spend the rest of my life staring at the computer monitor, pondering what might have been.

Anyway, enough with the dramatics.

Please write back soon, Sincerely,

Lindsay

Attached is a link to the story, which is currently not complete. It was written over a period of time, and the writing therefore gets better as it progresses. It's a sort of rough draft, so it can definitely be edited.

**Sorry for the ridiculously long A/N posting that letter caused, but I felt it necessary, so you guys could tell me what you think of it before I send it.**


	32. Chapter 32

A/N- Now that more HON books are getting published, my story doesn't make sense anymore. Zoey didn't end up with the same person as I said, and…a whole load of, as Zoey would say, "bullpoopie". So now my story is obsolete, but let's pretend it isn't. It's almost over anyway, and although it no longer makes sense, there will still be a sequel as planned. All six of you who read my story must be so happy to hear this. XD live long and prosper!

Aphrodite's POV

I stabbed the OFF button on the phone. Slipping it back into my pocket, I whooshed out a sigh. "Er…Darius" I said, still breathless though my annoyance was clear in every syllable. "It looks like we're going to need a rain date."

He removed his hands from my shoulders as I disentangled mine from his hair, and drew my face away from his.

"Exactly why is this?" He asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Zoey says she needs the circle." I made sure he knew how much I detested her for tearing me away from him with one more kiss, then pulled myself away from _that_ and snatched my keys off the end table. "See you later."

Shaunee's POV

I hung up the phone and turned to Erin. "Looks like we're cutting this short." I huffed, gesturing to her arms, heavily laden with shopping bags. She pouted.

"You're kidding! I was picking out my anniversary gift."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Well Teddy can never get it right!" she explained. "We both learned a long time ago that it's better if _I _buy the gift, and he wraps it and gives it to me."

"I get to practice looking surprised!" she said defensively at Shaunee's raised eyebrows.

"Well did she say _why_ she needs to tear us away from this all important spree?" Erin asked as we snapped our seatbelts into place and I turned onto the highway, heading for the House of Night.

"Funny enough, I don't think she did."

Damien's POV

Putting down the phone, I turned to Jack. "We need to go."

He looked scandalized. "But we have tickets! To Phantom of the Opera!"

I nodded sadly. "I know, Hon. But there's someone who needs us far more than Marie!"

Still looking mutinous, Jack placed his hands on his narrow hips. "Who?"

"Zoey. She didn't really say much, but she needs the circle."

At his look of protest, he shook his head. "You're coming too. Even if I didn't want you there, you'd still have to. Zoey said she wanted you too. Guess it's a moral support thing."

"Will we still leave Emma with the sitter?" Jack asked quietly after a few moments of strained silence. I couldn't help but smile widely at his acceptance.

I thought of Emma, our recently adopted four-month-old. "Of course." I replied, pulling him towards the car. "There's no reason not to."

Zoey's POV

Neferet was going to pay. I knew that much.

I had no idea what she was involved in this time, nor did I particularly want to know, except in terms of what I could do to stop it. There was something dark in the school, and if the circle couldn't beat it well…I had no idea what I'd do.

"Mommy?" Sharin's voice came. She sounded so small, like my tiny daughter again. There was vulnerability in her voice I hadn't heard in years. I'd missed it, I realized. Everyone needed to be needed.

"Yeah, baby?" I asked. I scooted myself over so I was next to her, holding her head in my lap.

"Mommy I'm…so scared." I nodded, watching the tears drip down her pale face, staring at the silvery marks around her brow, their delicate filigree like a fine necklace. She looked so young.

"I am too, but you know what we have to do?"

She bit her lip as more tears slid down her cheeks, and shook her head.

"We have to keep fighting. Neferet and…whatever terrible thing she has on her side this time, are nothing compared to what we have."

She looked up at me with wide, terrified, trusting eyes.

"What do we have, Mommy?"

The door opened, and Aphrodite walked in, followed by the Twins and Damien and Jack. Erik came last, his eyes concerned. He came over and put his hand on my shoulder, kneeling behind me. I looked up into his eyes, so like our daughter's, and felt hope swell in my chest.

"We have each other."

"Alright," I said, my voice low. "Let's go."

Jezebel glanced at Sharin and then looked up at me, her mossy eyes steely. "Should we go now?" she asked.

She'd told me that she'd killed Neferet when she'd awoken, but reports from the rest of the circle had told us that the former Queen Tsigili was still at large, now with an enormous army of swaying students, eyes black.

I nodded. Jezebel helped Sharin to her feet, and they slipped out the heavy oaken door.

I stared after them, even after the door closed. I winged a prayer to whoever was listening to protect them.

Turning to those around me, I pursed my lips. "Do you have the candles?" I asked. Everyone around me nodded, producing the candle that corresponded with their element. Damien handed me a candle for Spirit, since I had none, and I thanked him. I cradled the candle against my chest like a newborn child, running my finger over it's smooth, even surface. In the flickering light, it was easy to imagine that it was already lit.

Sharin's POV

Jez and I pounded down the hall towards the courtyard, tripping and stumbling on the uneven cobblestones.

"Sharin?" she whispered to me as we came to a stop, hands on our knees, gasping for breath.

"Yeah?" I replied. I still felt odd, but better.

"What if this doesn't work. What if we just can't…"

"Don't think about it." I cut her off. "I'm not." she nodded, absently tucking another strand of fiery hair behind her ear. I waited a moment for her to get set, and then said, "Alright, let's go."

We walked the rest of the distance to the courtyard in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. When we arrived, I drew in a deep breath. I could see the huge crowd of hypnotized fledglings through the warped glass of the window, criss-crossed with little iron beams.

"Are you ready, Jez?" I asked her, my voice shaking. She nodded, and pursed her lips. I watched as she slowly faded from view, until there was nothing in her place. I knew she was still there, but I couldn't for the life of me have picked her out of the background. We'd been practicing in the tiny room. Jez had only been able to hold this state for about five minutes before she started to reappear, so that's as long as I had to figure out what I had to do.

We still didn't know what to call the thing I'd done to Samantha…had it really just been a few weeks ago? When my biggest problem was a weird mark and a nasty girl?

Anyway, although we didn't know what to call my strange ability to throw people against walls, it could still come in handy.

I had exactly five minutes to get myself ready to run out into the crowd and cause as much chaos as I could, before which Jez would silently, invisibly take her position behind Neferet, and get ready for…well, that was the problem.

Mom had only gotten us that far.

Jezebel's POV

We were counting entirely on the element of surprise. Without it, all was lost. Took a breath to center myself, and dashed out into the crowd, trying to step as lightly as I could to avoid being heard.

I didn't look into the eerily blackened eyes of the fledglings around me. I knew that if I did, even or an instant, it would be my undoing.

I had to just concentrate on the situation and task at hand. The sky above me was blood red, and the resemblance to the vision Sharin and I had experienced was startling.

I tripped and looked up to see Mara, the girl who'd chattered so annoyingly to me just weeks ago. I'd shushed her then, but now, looking into her empty black eyes and watching her sway slightly, I would've given anything to hear her babbling in her bubbly, excited voice about something that didn't matter. My eyes began to sting with the beginning of tears, and I look away, picking myself up off the rocky ground and continuing through the crowd towards the front, where I could just see the top of Neferet's head.

It was unnerving that she was still alive after the beating she'd received from me. By all means, she should be dead. I'd seen the amount of blood she'd lost, watched the light fade from her eyes. If she'd survived that, whatever she'd been doing—whatever evil force she'd pledged her allegiance to—must've been worse than we'd thought.

I finally reached the front of the crowd and had an unobstructed view of Neferet. What I saw made me gasp.


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N**_**- Well it's me again. I know, shocking. I'd just like to give you all a shout-out from my Stark Clone, awarded to me by none other than the fantabulous Emgem!**

**SC- Hey, everyone!**

**Me- Stark, show them your trick!**

**SC- Okey Dokey. I predict that the next chapter will be called…**

**Me- Drum roll please!**

**SC- Shut up! You're breaking my concentration!**

**Me- He's having authority problems.**

**SC- *gives me death glare***

**Me- Fine. Continue.**

**SC- The next chapter-or I should say, this chapter-will be called….CHAPTER 33!**

**Me- Wow, dude.**

**PeeWee Herman- *Hehaw, hehaw!* You guys are *Hehaw* laaaame.**

***silence***

**Me & SC- Get out.**

**Disclaimer- my ownership over the HON series is nonexistent.**

_Zoey's POV_

I took a deep breath, centering myself as best as I could. Even as high priestess, I'd never faced a challenge such as this one. Even fighting Neferet in the past was something that I knew instinctively was nothing compared to what this would be.

The air seemed super-charged with intensity. Everyone's concentration weighed heavily on the atmosphere. The flickering shadows from the torches on the walls played with their features, creating sometimes frightening mockeries of the familiar faces I'd come to love.

A shudder passed through me. These people-my children, my husband, my friends, _my circle_-were truly the most important things to me. Jack let out a cry in the corner, a gentle sound of discontent, as though he too could sense the gravity of the situation, and a tear rolled down my cheek. If I lost any of those around me, even one, I knew I would just die. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe.

"Zoey?" It was Erin's tentative voice that brought me out of my panic.

"I'm sorry." I said. I wiped a hand across my brow, and pulled my thick hair back with an elastic around my wrist, frankly shocked that I could even perform such mundane tasks under the circumstances.

"Girl, you look like shit." Aphrodite stated. A reluctant laugh choked out of me.

"Thanks, you always know just what to say." It was true though. Aphrodite's insult had taken my mind off the situation for just an instant, but it was enough.

"Okay, so I'll cloak us, and we'll go down the corridor, the same way as the girls."

The circle around me nodded obediently. Jack cooed again, and the other, adult Jack tried to quiet him. I thanked the Goddess for friends.

"Once we reach the courtyard, we form the circle." They all nodded again. I exhaled slowly through my nose and pasted a brave smile on my quivering features.

…_my daughter…_

I felt warmth spread through me. Nyx reassured me, and together we turned and faced the door, stepping through it in a line.

_Neferet's POV_

….dark…

…raise hands….

….he says I will be….

…essesntial…

….ah….

….to feel important….

…but then, absence also…

…absence, of feeling little else.

_Sharin's POV_

I heard Jez's shout, the alert to tell me that she'd reappeared.

I filled my lungs with air, and pushed my arms straight out in front of me. I tried to remember the emotions I'd felt when I'd sent Samantha flying against the wall.

I squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to let the emotions fill me. Key word: tried. As in nothing happened.

Despair filled me. I'd known this wouldn't work, known I couldn't do it, known I was not good enough- _NO!_

I forced myself to stop these thoughts, to face Neferet, even from behind. She had not yet noticed me.

I knew that I'd felt anger, but the anger at Samantha was old now. Stale, used, and useless.

I tried to call up anger, and immediately I saw the hooded face of the demon that had attacked me.

I drew in all my breath, and let my anger out through, it felt at least, the palms of my hands.

I heard Nefert's outraged cry, and I knew it had worked.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N – Yes, it's me. The author who all but abandoned you. I'd be surprised if there's even anyone left reading this, and I couldn't blame you if you've all given up on me. But on the off chance that someone's still with me out there, here's what happened: I kinda gave up on writing for a little while, but I'm back! I was reading fanfiction, thinking of how annoyed I'd be if some of the stories **_**I**_** like were suddenly put on random hiatus, and I was like "OMG, that's totally what I did! I'm a terrible person!" So here I am again. With this story. And I will be updating all my others as well. I PROMISE! Stark clones to all the lovelies who actually decide to review this, who are still out there! **

_Sharin's POV_

Neferet jerked up and back, as though she'd been suddenly seized by an invisible hand with an iron grip. Her eyes flashed, momentarily widening in shock. Her hands, all long reaching fingers, scrambled frantically through empty air, searching in vain for purchase. As though in slow motion, her dress billowed, catching air and rippling faintly as she fell, looking near graceful.

I was momentarily frozen. Shock swept through me, and then on its heels, a giddy rush of power. _I_ had done that. I had sent the evil priestess wheeling through air. I felt strong, I felt capable, I felt…a hard object crash suddenly into me.

"Ooof!"

_Jezebel's POV_

Just as soon as I'd gotten a good view of Neferet, she was falling. I had to admit, Sharin was good.

Okay, so now Neferet was on the ground, and I was standing here. Waiting. For what, you ask? Well I didn't know, because apparently Zoey had only seen fit to get us this far. No matter how much we'd begged, she hadn't deigned to fill us in on exactly what her plan was. I shivered as I felt for souls around me, and found…none. It was as if these black-eyed fledglings had nothing but emptiness where their essence once lived. What _were_ they?

I was more than a little bit worried that she didn't actually have one at all.

_Zoey's POV_

We moved as one through the halls, my concentration stretched as I focused all my energy on keeping us shielded from view. If we were noticed too soon, all would be lost.

I felt hysteria bubbling up within me. I didn't even know what I had to lose here. Whatever Neferet was doing…channeling some evil, or simply wearing black contact lenses and waving her arms around on a big rock, was hurting my family, my fledglings, my friends.

And even though what I was about to do seemed ridiculous, it was the only way. I clutched the candle tighter in my clammy hands, fearing that it might slip from my grasp and be lost somewhere amongst the legions of these black-eyes, blank-faced fledglings. At first, we'd been careful not to jostle them as we moved through their ranks, but now it seemed that they really didn't care. They were entranced by whatever sick power had its influence in Neferet's mind, and we probably could've driven a truck through them without so much as a raised hand in protest.

Which, quite frankly, scared the hell out of me.

I craned my neck over the heads of the fledglings, and saw Sharin, arms outstretched, at the foot of the boulder on which Neferet stood—or had stood, I corrected, as she suddenly went reeling through the air, a leaf caught in a gale.

I froze for a moment, taken aback at my little girl's raw power. When this was all over—_if_ this was all over—we'd have to find out exactly what it was she was doing. What it entailed.

I looked around me at the circle, at Stark and Jack and Erik. They looked equally impressed, and we all began to quicken our pace toward Sharin. I felt suddenly frantic, unsure of how much time we'd have between when Neferet hit the ground and when she was back on her feet. Too much momentum, I realized, as we barreled into Sharin.

"Oh, sorry honey!" I murmured. A small part of my mind recoiled from exactly how _normal_ that sounded. Like, yeah, we're fighting the influence of an evil we do not know or understand, surrounded by ebony-eyed zombies. Sorry for bumping you.

"Mom?" Sharin cried, looking relieved and scared, her eyes slightly unfocused as she searched the air around her for us, and I remembered my invisiblity. "What now? Jez is back behind that boulder, and Neferet has fallen."

"Then that's where we go." I replied, gesturing for the group to follow, dropping my cloaking efforts.

Sharin's face paled and she nodded. The rest of the group shifted back into focus around me as we dodged through the crowd of fledglings and rounded the boulder.

_Jezebel's POV_

"Oh thank Goddess." I cried as Sharin, Zoey, and the rest of our rag-tag group came into view. Neferet was on the ground, still seemingly down for the count, although something told me that if she was still alive after the beating I'd given her, a little fifteen foot fall off a rock wasn't quite enough to do her in.

Sharin wobbled when she saw me and ran forward, pulling me in for a quick hug. "I'm am so scared." She muttered.

"Yeah, join the club." I replied, watching as Zoey and the others began to form a circle around Neferet's limp body, holding candles.

"Hurry!" Zoey commanded, glancing at the limp form of the dark priestess with increasing concern. "We have to do this _before_ she awakes!"

_Zoey POV_

Finally everyone was in position. We moved hurriedly and robotically through the procedures, and the circle was cast. A band of golden light connected us, and I felt the familiar surge of safety, of power, surge through me.

"I call upon the powers of Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit, I call upon the Goddess Nyx, and the ancient magic of this world." I tried, my voice shaking and hardly louder than a whisper as I looked at the faces of those around me, distorted by the flickering of their candles. This was stupid. A circle? How could it work? How could—

"Hey, Zo?" my head jerked up at the sound of Erik's voice. He smiled at me from his place just outside the circle, looking worlds more confident than I felt. "You can do this."

I smiled a little, as the others nodded at me, affirming their belief in me. Sharin stood with her father, next to Jez and Jack, outside the circle but a part of it just the same.

"I call," I began again, my voice confident and loud, "Upon the powers of Earth,"—the scent of spring reached me suddenly, and I grinned—"Air,"—a cool breeze lifted my hair, toying with my dress—"Water,"—the smell of rain filled my nose, and I could almost feel droplets pattering my bare shoulders—" Fire,"—I was surrounded by warmth—"And Spirit!" With each element, I felt the power of the circle grow stronger, a new wave of sureness and electricity rolling through me. "I call upon the power of Nyx, and the ancient magic of this world that lives around us and within us!" I was nearly shouting now. The band of gold between us seemed to have expanded to include Erik, Sharin, and even Jez. Neferet's body seemed to be trembling, shaking with the power flowing through it, a conduit for the magic of our circle.

Slowly she began to rise into the air, shuddering violently. "I call upon all of these to excise from this vessel the evil that has blackened her soul! To excise from these grounds the evil that has infected our fledglings!" My eyes wandered up to the red sky, where clouds were gathering, ominous and heavy, pressing down on us.

Neferets body had begun to glow, spinning through the air and jerking violently. The rational part of my mind couldn't help but wonder what the hell was even going on here, but so much of me was invested in the circle that I could barely spare it a thought.

Suddenly a lightning bolt split the sky. Thunder charged the air, a violent cymbal, and the ground shook. All of the air seemed charged with electricity. The black-eyed fledglings seemed to be waiting for something, swaying slowly in place.

"_My children!" _came a voice, and we all froze. Surprisingly, it was Jez who finally spoke up.

"Nyx?" Her voice wavered like that of a child, unsure and clearly terrified. Then I realized, of course she sounded like a child. She _was_ a child. Her, and Sharin, and all of these fledglings who were under some sick spell. They were nothing but children. This was a _school_. A place where people were supposed to be safe. And I was supposed to keep them safe.

I had failed.

"_There is a force at work here, darker than you have ever seen before. It is the blackness of the soul, the evil of the world. Hatred, come together."_

We remained silent, still shocked.

"_Neferet has lost her way, succumbed to this evil. It is a force at work in each of your minds, at all times. Most people fight against it. Some people lose this battle."_

The red-haired woman writhed, screaming in agony as the glow around her form intensified.

"What's happening, Nyx? What's going on?" I cried, uncomprehending.

"_The answer lies with those who can face the darkness!"_ Came Nyx's voice again, amplified and yet soft as a prayer. "_Those who can look the end in the eye, and stand firm. One from the dark, and one from light. One who has never seen the black of the world, one who has however unwillingly existed within it. Opposites, fighting together. This is the only way." _

Neferet broke the tense silence with a grating scream. A blackness was suddenly surrounding her body, a stark contrast to the golden glow. It was inky, not so much darkness as the absence of light, twisting, smoke-like, around her form, like a living thing.

"_This evil is not so easy to combat, for it exists in the very soul of each and every human being. It is an omnipresent, omnipotent force. Only two can fight this darkness…only two…both with powers beyond anyone's expectations, both gifted…They must find a world apart from our own, and defeat this darkness…or all is lost…"_

The glow of our circle's power, and the writhing blackness that seemed to represent this evil Nyx spoke of danced around Neferet, wracking her body with tremors. Warring, as the glow of the circle slowly expanded outward, engulfing more and more of the black-eyed fledglings. I could feel the power coursing through the circle ratchet up a notch as each new figure was inducted. We were one huge circuit.

A humming filled the air, growing louder and louder still, until I could feel my teeth vibrating in my head, and my vision blurred, the earth seeming to shake.

"Jez!" Sharin screamed suddenly, her voice barely audible over the buzzing of magic that electrified the air. "Two opposites!"

Jezebel cocked her head, and I watched her eyes widen as she understood what Sharin was saying.

Two who could combat the darkness, two opposites. Both with powers beyond anyone's expectations, both gifted by Nyx.

Lightning cleaved the sky again, the thunder hardly heard over the humming in the air, and I felt a tear slip down my cheek.

"It's too dangerous!" I shouted, fighting to be heard. "You can't!"

The other members of the circle all looked either confused or terrified.

"Mom, you heard the Goddess! It's the only way!"

**A/N- So that's that. And there will, I believe, one more chapter, before I buckle down on that sequel I promised. But for now, what do you think? I know I'm a little rusty, but I also think I'm a better writer. Also, at this point it's been a while since I read the HON series, so I apologize for any terrible inaccuracies in terms of HON, or even my own story and characters. Tell me what you think of it! What you think I should do! OR ELSSEEE!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Sharin's POV**

My eyes searched desperately across the circle, and the moment they connected with Jez's sent a shock through me that nearly knocked me backwards. Momentarily, it felt as though we were alone, silence surrounding us. The edges of my vision blurred and blackened and the world closed in. Imperceptibly, Jez inclined her head. A question. Did I want to go through with this?

In all honesty, I wanted to run. I wanted to scream and cry and turn tail, sprinting away and not looking back. But these were my friends and family, depending on me to save the day. This was my Goddess, telling me that I was essential in saving what appeared to be the world.

Suddenly I longed for the days of being denied playdates over being a vampyre's kid. That kind of different, I could deal with. But this? The kind that came with a responsibility that made me weak at the knees? For Nyx's sake—literally—I was fifteen. Mere months ago I'd been worried about such mundane things as cereal and my hair, and now I was being asked, in a booming voice, by the Goddess of my people, to perform an impossible task. Was I a bad person, for wanting to run away? I shivered, suddenly feeling the cold that pressed all around me more acutely than ever. The urge to hide overcame me, and yet I was rooted to my spot. I had to let Nyx know that I was the wrong girl for the job, that I was no heroine. Nyx had said that this attack was the culmination of the bad in people. That some force had brought out the evil in the souls of all those around us tonight; how could I possibly save anyone from it if I myself was plagued with cowardice? Could it be possible to be completely pure? I couldn't be sure, but somehow I doubted it. I didn't think of myself as a particularly evil person, and somehow I felt that Nyx knew of my reservations. She knew this task was impossible, and yet she trusted me—me and Jez—to perform it. Which must mean that no one could possibly be all good, but we were good enough.

Honestly, I'd never really had a choice. I nodded at Jezebel, and all at once, the world around me came back into focus. The sounds—of Neferet's agonized wails and the shrieking wind that for some reason felt the need to reflect the gravity of the situation, the occasional sob from my mother at the knowledge that her child had just been asked to risk her life, the labored breathing of the circle, their energy being channeled so thoroughly into the elemental power that flooded them—of my environment crashed against my ears, and I thought for a moment I might stumble.

But I did not. Instead I walked toward Jez, slow and steady. I fought the instinct to take mincing steps, to drag out my journey and give myself time—for what, I didn't know, since I could not possibly prepare for whatever I was about to face. We met more towards my side than Jez's, as my agonized thinking over my pace had evidently slowed me some anyway, and as though acting on instinct, we clasped hands. Abruptly, the input from our surroundings what cut off, and I felt as though I were moving very quickly upwards, the wind plastering my hair to my face and singing in my ears. We rocketed upwards, and the air pressed against me and drove out all my thoughts, until I was pure motion, anchored to Jez and awaiting whatever I might find as best I could.

**Jezebel's POV**

When the roaring in my ears finally ceased, I opened my eyes tentatively, and found myself staring at…myself. Holding hands with Sharin, eyes still tightly shut, a rather unattractive look of concentration on my face that I could only hope was not a regular thing. My feet were on solid ground, and yet in my mind's eye the scene below was displayed out clearly before me. I could see the circle, Sharin and I caught in the middle, surrounded by Zoey, Shaunee, Erin, Damien, Stevie Rae, Aphrodite, Erik, and Stark. I saw Neferet's pale, lithe body, still suspended as though trapped on puppet strings. And all around them, I saw the legions of black-eyed, markless fledglings. They appeared, at first glance, to be stationary. And yet upon closer inspection, I could see some movement among their ranks. They were stirring, with their queen incapacitated. Amongst them swooped those black shadow spirits, the ones that seemed to be made of pure fear and hate. They, too ,were restless, although in an entirely different way. Their jerky movements seemed almost agitated, as though they knew what was going on, and were frightened by it.

This, more than anything, gave my hope. Perhaps we would indeed escape this alive.

At this reminder that I was not here alone, my eyes found Sharin, who had been surveying the sight below as well, her face ashen and her eyes like faded denim, glazed momentarily with tears that she quickly blinked away. I smiled grimly, knowingly, feeling the same burn behind my own lids. Now, however, was not the time for tears.

Suddenly, the muscles in my back contracted, the hairs on my neck standing to attention. Shivers shot down my arms and legs, and with a sense of foreboding so strong I could not breath, I turned to face…myself. Again.

God dammit, why did I have so many clones around this place?

Suddenly, I was alone with me. Sharin was no longer beside me, and I groped for her hand, but could not break contact from my own mossy eyes. "Sh-Sharin?" I tried to call, but my voice was a whisper.

The other me smirked. "Look at you. You are nothing."

Cold ice shot up my spine and froze my mind. My mother's voice, my mother's words, my mother's beliefs, drilled into me.

"Look where you've gotten us." She continued, padding in a circle around me as I stood stiffly, unable to react. When she came to face me again, I noticed that she did not bear the black mark I did. Her forehead was smooth and unmarred but for the single crescent shape. I knew this mattered, in the back of my mind, but I could not find the words nor the knowledge that reminded me why. Instead I stood powerless, my mind a blank slate as anger burned within me, anger and fear and sadness.

"You couldn't listen to mother. You would have been powerful, restored this world," she gestured widely at the school and the fledglings spread below us, "To its former glory." She laughed cruelly, my own laugh twisted, pulled apart and sewn back together to create some barely recognizable Frankenstein monster. "But instead, you were weak. You fell for the ploy of 'goodness', of 'rightness'. Tell me, Jezebel." She stepped closer, and her icy breath washed over my face. I wanted badly to flinch away, to raise a hand against her, but I could not move. "You were always so strong, so tough. You never needed anybody. When did you become a coward?"

White hot rage surged through me, stronger than the emotions that had played through me before, and for the first time I was able to raise an arm, to push her away. "I am _not _a coward!" I cried. My voice wavered, but held firm. I felt as though air were flooding through me, and the cruel amusement that had played across the face of the other me was gone, replaced with seriousness and danger.

Good, I thought savagely. Let her come at me.

Let me attack myself, I know just where to hit.

My wish was immediately granted as she launched herself at me, nails digging into my skin. "She never loved you!" the demon me's voice intoned hauntingly, coursing with ire, no longer my own. "No one ever has! No one will! You don't deserve their love! You deserve…nothing." The final word was delivered as a hiss. It might have cooled my blood, if it hadn't been for the fact that it was already boiling.

"You're wrong." I replied, my hands twisting in my own hair and eliciting a scream of pain and fury. "I'm a better person now. I love, and am loved, and I am not afraid of you!"

And just as suddenly as she had appeared, the other me was gone, replaced with a shapeless, amorphous black mist that swirled and jabbed, snaking out tendrils like feelers that I batted away, revulsion coursing through me.

_"You are evil…"_ a voice whispered in my head. _"I know this, I am you. I am the essence of your soul."_ It hissed.

I shook my head fervently. "You aren't! You a-aren't!" the tears that I'd held back began to flow, and I trembled. "I'm not bad! Zoey says so! Nyx—"

_"Ha! Nyx. Your foolish Goddess. Where is your Goddess now, Jezebel? You are alone…have always been alone…"_

I felt I was suffocating, and yet a golden light was growing within me, the words it whispered glowing and assuring. _Not bad at all…_it told me. _You're good. You're…my friend._

"I am _not_ alone!" I shouted. Suddenly I felt stronger, as though I knew that those who cared were behind me, could protect me. Would protect me. "There may be bad to me, but there is to everyone! It is my choice what path I may take, and I choose the one of light!"

A flash. Pure heat and light and the sound of songbirds. My field of vision grew too bright to bear, and I felt as though I were falling. At the last moment, my hand found another, and I scrabbled and grabbed it tight. Distantly, I could hear a long, low sigh, as if someone were being relieved of their agony after a very, very long time.

Then I heard nothing at all, and the light embraced me in a cloud.

**Sharin's POV**

When my eyes opened, after the rushing sensation of rocketing through the clouds, I could tell in an instant we were safe. The waterfall towered above me, the forest spread around me. I knew this place, and I had only ever found Nyx here, her arms open to me, to comfort me.

Now, however, I was alone. Somehow that felt wrong—hadn't I been with someone just instants before?—and yet, I couldn't find it within myself to worry. As long as I was here, I was safe.

Right?

I waited to hear Nyx's voice, as I had each other time I found myself here. I waited for my Goddess to comfort me, to explain, to show me the path.

And yet, there was only silence and loneliness. As I watched the waterfall, I realized that it was not making a sound. Abruptly, I realized that there was no birdsong, no chattering of birds and other animals surrounding me as I would normally have experienced in this forest. The loneliness suddenly seemed crushing. I squirmed, spinning in a circle, my whole body abruptly tense. "Hello?"

And unpredictably, there was an answer.

I blinked at the speaker, confounded. "Surprised?" she sneered, with my mouth.

I screamed.

Her derisive laughter cut through the sound of my fear and horrible shock. "You poor thing. So naïve. You thought you were safe here. You thought it was youw vewwy own special pwace." Her baby talk in my voice was startling. I could not respond.

"You need to grow up, Night. There's no lovely land out there, or in your mind, or anywhere. The world _sucks_." she took a step closer, in my face. I recoiled and she laughed again. "So innocent. You can't fight darkness, you've never _felt_ darkness. You fool. You selfish fool."

I shook my head, hair whipping around and leaving streaks of darkness at the edges of my vision. "I…I'm not selfish. I—"

She cut me off with another chilling laugh, and I felt a surge of anger. My laugh, mutated. I was not a fan. "_Not_ selfish? Why, you silly girl. You think you're special. You cry and cry over how different you are, how you don't want this destiny. Never for a moment thankful, never trying to make the most of your gifts. Your selfishness, your temper. _You killed Samantha Baron_."

The last sentence, delivered as a hiss, made my knees turn to jello. I wobbled and sank to the ground, not liking the way she now stood over me, but unable to rise. "I-I didn't. She died on her own, rejected the change…"

"Right after you threw her against a wall? How likely does that seem? You killed her and you can't even admit it."

"I…I'm sorry…" I murmured. The edges of my vision were blurring, closing in. Wildly I grasped at the air around me, knowing there was meant to be solace, knowing I had come here with another, was not truly alone, but my search was to no avail, and tears began to course down my face. "I'm sorry!" I sobbed. "I know it was my fault. I know it's…all my fault."

"That's right. Cry, you useless girl. You broken, selfish, naïve little girl. You could do nothing to save your friends. You are nothing."

Each word was a blow that fell upon my face, until I could not even bring myself to raise my head any longer. The voice—my voice, grating out insults in unfamiliar cruel tones—continued to assault my ears, and I curled into a ball, curled against myself and into myself. Whatever I had thought I might find in this mission, I had been wrong. I was not prepared, I had failed, I could not do the mission that my Goddess had set before me. I had failed Nyx, and more importantly, I had failed my mother and father. My family, my friends. The love I had inside me was tenuous and weak, and it was not enough for me to save them. What kind of disgusting creature was I, the voice asked with glee, that I did not care enough for them to fight against it? How had I ever deluded myself into thinking, for a moment, that I could help?

No matter, I was drifting away now. As my lids began to close, I saw the figure before me shift, and glimmer for a moment, then vanish, replaced with writhing blackness, darkness incarnate and before me. Laughter, high and furious and victorious, boomed in my ears.

"Cry, little girl. You could not save yourself, nor them. You are selfish. You do not care enough about them to save them. You are weak."

Words all around me, echoing and battering and bringing out more sadness, more numbness, more…the anger was unexpected, a sprig of clover in a field of wilted daisies, more resilient. "Lies…" I moaned, my voice barely audible. _We love you, Sharin, and we know you love us…we know. You are enough. You are brave. _The barest whispers that ghosted over my skin.

"_What was that?"_ the darkness asked, voice scraping and hissing in my mind, amused.

"I said…lies. I love them. _I love them_." My cry was louder now, more assured. Suddenly I found that my legs would unfold from beneath me, that I could rise. Wobbly but risen, I faced the darkness that I somehow knew had come from within myself, and extended my arms, pushing against it. My arms seemed to slip through chilled water, but I felt the darkness squirm, retracted from their warmth. "I love them!" I said again, louder, a scream. "I am not weak! I am not selfish, and I will not succumb!"

This final shove was the decider. The darkness contracted so rapidly that all it left behind was a searing, pure white light that filled my vision and knocked me off of my feet. I soared through air, seeing nothing but white. My searching hand found another, and I held tight until the whiteness overcame all.

**Zoey's POV**

Within the circle, the girls stood as though locked there, trembling heavily, clinging to each other's hands in a white-knuckled grasp that made my own knuckles ache. I couldn't breathe. The fear filled me as I watched my daughter, my baby, shake and sob.

I remembered, vividly, her face the very first time she'd fallen from her bicycle. She'd seemed almost surprised at first, then outraged. Angry at the world that this had happened, but more than that: angry at herself, that she had been unable to support herself. Her cries were loud and dry and indignant, and even as I gathered her in my arms and smoothed a bandaid over the scraped elbow, she had strained against me. She wanted to get back on the bike, to try again.

The next time, she did not falter, and her smile was blinding. I'd felt pride swell within me, watching my daughter, my life, my heart.

Thought I longed to run to her, to hold her even now, I knew I could not. I knew she was fighting her own battle, with a friend at her side.

Neferet twisted in mid-air, her back suddenly arching, and like a fountain, a sudden spurt of black smoke poured from her mouth, shooting to touch the sky just as suddenly as a beam of white light seemed to descend upon her, upon us all. I felt the energy break over my head and trembled as it coursed through me. The golden band of light expanded, glowed white-hot. It was too much to bear, it was pure energy in my ever vein. My eyes found those of each of the others in the circle. "Don't let it go!" I screamed, unsure if they could even hear me over the roaring that suddenly filled all our ears

The fledglings, who had previously been rocking and mumbling, their black eyes straining and blinking, were suddenly in an uproar. The ground was shaking and the stars were falling and it was the end of the world, I just knew it…

I opened my eyes just in time to see the world go still, and quiet, as my daughter and Jezebel fell to the ground.

**Sharin's POV**

When my eyes fluttered open, I was in a bed. Instinctively, I thrashed my way back into consciousness, straining. How could I be in a bed? I had to be fighting. There had been darkness and a red sky and Neferet and evil and…

It was not until I felt a cool hand laid over my forehead that I realized I had been speaking out loud. I blinked rapidly, and my mother's face came into focus. She looked tired and relieved.

"Mom! Where are we? Is everyone okay! We've got to—"

"Shhh, Sharin, honey. It's okay now. Oh, Sharin. Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Er…am I in trouble?"

She stared at me incredulously for a long moment, and then laughter bubbled out of her, sounding weary but ready to exist. Like she needed it. I felt warmth spread through my chest, and I pushed myself upright and wrapped my arms around her. "Mom, what happened? I remember Jez and I holding hands, shooting upwards. I remember…" I faltered. "I remember a voice, it was me but not me, telling me I was worthless, that I didn't love you enough…" I trailed off, disconcerted, but no tears came. "And then there was another voice, a familiar one. It told me I wasn't selfish and worthless. That I was loved…was it you?"

My mother gazed down at me, her face so full of love and concern that I felt I might cry just from relief, just from seeing her whole and here. She shook her head. "No, Little Rae. I didn't know you were hearing those things. I just saw you…trembling." Her voice broke and I instinctively leaned forward, pulling her into a hug. Her exhales grew ragged, and I knew she was overcome with relief, as I was too. Over her shoulder my eyes fell upon a familiar mop of red hair. For the briefest moment I felt a stab of fear, certain Neferet was here, not gone despite our most pronounced efforts, but no. Jez sat on the bed beside mine, smiling that wearily, rueful as she watched me hug my mother. That wouldn't do.

"Get over here," I said quietly, motioning with one hand.

Her smile widened until it held the sun, and she rose and wrapped her arms around us as well.

"It was you, wasn't it?" she whispered. "You told me I wasn't bad, when the evil was trying to make me give up."

After a long moment, I realized I had. I had whispered those things, knowing they were what Jez needed to hear, and only now did I realize this. "And you…you told me you all loved me, that I loved you enough."

She nodded, a laugh and a cry wrenching from her.

"Thank you." We said at the same time, then more laughter. It felt so good to laugh that it was a long time before we stopped, both doubled over, perched on the same bed, with my mother standing over us, a wry smile on her lined but youthful, beautiful face.

When my laughter subsided, I managed to inhale and ask my mother again, "What happened?"

"I think I can answer that." Came a voice. I turned and saw Stark, grinning broadly. Something stirred inside my chest, and I shifted to give him room to sit on the bed. "After you and Jezebel joined hands, you started shaking and crying. We all wanted to get you, but we knew you couldn't be disturbed, that we couldn't," he glanced at my mother, "Break the circle. And then the ground was shaking and Neferet was spitting smoke, and this sheath of white light…" he shivered and stopped for a moment, then continued. "This sheath of white light fell on us all, and it supercharged everything. It was insane. And then you two collapsed, and suddenly the fledglings," I shivered at the memory of all my black-eyed schoolmates, "Were alive again, moving and talking. A lot of them were crying—I understand why, they say it's like you were submerged at the bottom of the ocean, numb and cold, only to have air suddenly forced into your lungs.

"Anyway, after that there was a lot of confusion. Your father," at the mention of his title, my Dad seemed to materialize behind Stark. He sat on the bed as well, and wrapped me in a hug, "and I grabbed you and Jez, so you wouldn't get trampled there on the ground by all those confused fledglings. A lot of them needed medical attention—IV fluids, treatment for cuts and scrapes that I have no idea how they got. But we're okay now." He smiled and the sun melted. "We're all okay."

Beside me, Jez raised an eyebrow skeptically. "IV fluids? Treatment? Where _are_ we?"

My father on my other side flushed. "We may have, er, commandeered a hospital wing. We had a lot of kids who needed help, they couldn't say no!"

"But what about being away from the House of Night?" I asked, worriedly. Suddenly I imagined that I could feel myself growing ill, and my father laughed a little bit.

"Don't worry, Rae. You haven't been away long, and you won't be for much longer. We're just waiting until everyone is accounted for…"

He trailed off as something on the other side of the room caught his eye, and he smiled a little. "Prepare to be ambushed." He said with a grin.

I craned my neck, and a grin unfurled across my own face. Rushing toward us were…everyone. Layne and Kellan, Dawn and Olivia, Damien and Jack—holding a squealing baby Jack—Shaunee and Erin and Stevie Rae and Aphrodite and my Gramma Redbird, whom my mother immediately rose to embrace.

"You're okay!" I gasped, joy flooding me. They looked pale and shaken, haunted, but whole.

"Of course we are, silly," Layne answered me, flopping down on the bed, which was now very crowded in the best possible way.

"You didn't think you could get rid of us that easily, did you?" Kellan asked with a goofy grin.

"You did a good job, kid," Aphrodite said, and there were nods all around.

"You both did," Erin added, and Jez grinned.

And suddenly there were arms everywhere smiles and laughter that we all needed infusing the air. There were tears of joy, an emotion that, crouched in the cold stone corridors and braced on the field against Nerferet, amongst the fledglings, I had thought I might never feel again.

There was a golden glow about us, and through all the insanity, I caught Jez's eye, so that I could tell she heard it too when a voice echoed through the room heard to all in essence and heard to just us in specificity.

_"You have done well, my daughters._" Said Nyx, and the golden light swelled, love filling all the corners. Enveloped in the many squirming arms of everyone I loved, happiness was bubbling over. We were safe.

**Author's Note: So, there you have it. I put that one off for far longer than should, quite honestly, be allowed. To tell the truth, I don't much like this story anymore. I feel I've created a Mary-Sue of epic proportions, and as this story was originally published four years ago—if you can even believe it—my writing was not so great back there in the beginning. However, I received a very polite PM from Noble Kohedron, asking me to finish it, and I knew I should. It was rather dreadful of me to leave you all hanging in the wind for so long, and I understand if you've moved on, and no one even reads this.**

**However, I am very, very proud of this last chapter. It may be cliché in the end, but I think that since that's the way the entire story is written, it's not so bad.**

**There may be a time in the future, when I decide to go back and edit this, make the entire thing something to be proud of.**

**To be honest, I haven't been keeping up with the HON series at all. I feel the books declined in quality starting with Hunted, and the whole story really isn't my thing anymore. For these reasons, I don't know about the sequel I've been promising. I could write it, but I don't think it'd be what any of you want to read, considering the plans had for it. If enough people really want me to go through with it, I will find a way to take care of it.**

**Finally, thank you, to anyone out there, for sticking with this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you will continue to read and write and make merry, and Stark clones all around for the wonderful people with which this website is filled.**


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